Love Korean culture? Love film festivals? Love checking out something new and inspiring? If you said “yes” to any of those questions, then you’ll want to check out the inaugural Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival (AKSFF) tomorrow – Friday May 11 – at 6:30pm. It’s being held at Innis Hall and it’s FREE! So why not check out the first ever smartphone film festival in Toronto, and bring your friends too.

Want to know more about what to expect? I know I did, which is why I asked Mingu Kim, Director of the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival, a few questions so I would be better prepared to enjoy the festival. And since he gave such fabulous answers, I thought I would share them with you all. Keep reading to learn more about the AKSFF from Mingu Kim. All answers are Mingu Kim’s.

How did you come up with the idea for the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival?

We wanted to encourage and challenge local filmmakers and/or the general public by utilizing a fairly new device used in filmmaking. There are many film festivals of specific categories in Toronto, yet there is no film festival specializing in smartphone filmmaking. So my wife and I thought it’s worth trying it out since no one has done it yet in Toronto.

Why did you get involved with the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival?

I’ve had passion for filmmaking ever since I started my career in broadcasting in 2007. I participated in many film festivals as a filmmaker, media and member of a marketing committee. However, there was no film festival focusing on a Korean theme. As a producer of a Korean language programming on OMNI TV, it is my duty to preserve and develop the Korean cultural identity, language and customs. That’s why I got involved with the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival.

What is the purpose of the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival?

The purpose of the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival is to introduce Korean culture through filmmaking and encourage local artists. Through the festival, we are hoping to build personal and professional relationships among emerging and established artists in the GTA. It is exciting to build a strong community together.

How many submissions were there?

We’ve had 18 submissions in total. 15 films were selected for screening.

How are you judging the submissions?

We have 4 categories: Concept/Idea, Korean Element/Key Creative, Story, and Cinematography. 3 jury members have juried all submissions independently and picked top 3 of their own choices. Then we had a conference meeting to agree upon 3 winners, who will receive Arirang Korea Award ($1,000), Samsung Galaxy Tab (2nd Place), and Pico Dolly System (3rd Place).

Who’s judging the submissions?

There are 3 jury members whom I’ve met in the professional settings.

• Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi is the president of Aysha Productions Inc., and the founder of the Documentary Filmmaking Institute at Seneca College.
• Lance Carlson is an award winning cinematographer and filmmaker. He currently teaches at Centennial College and George Brown College and continues to write and produce independent film and interactive projects.
• Min Sook Lee is an award winning filmmaker with a diverse and prolific portfolio of multimedia work. She has produced and directed numerous critically acclaimed documentaries, including TIGER SPIRIT, HOGTOWN, EL CONTRATO and many more.

What are some of the themes or stories (from the submissions) that we can look forward to at the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival?

There are some films that reflect historical and cultural perspectives of Korea. One film is based on the issues of comfort women during the Japanese colonial period. Also a short documentary of grandparents well reflects culture that is no longer present in Korea. I am happy to see the variety of submissions from documentary to music video. They are all worth checking out.

Are you planning on the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival being an annual event?

Of course. It’s not going to be just a one-time event. We are planning to host the event annually. To give you a heads up, we will extend it to a weekend festival (2 to 3 days) and have more programming and special events. We will open submission call early so the contestants have more time to work on their projects.

There has been an increase in Korean-themed or Korean culture related events in Toronto in the last year, why do you think that is?

There are multiple reasons. K-pop phenomenon is one factor. I am surprised to see many non-Koreans imitate K-pop dance and speak Korean in Toronto nowadays. This spread of Korean pop culture is called Hallyu, also known as Korean Wave. Also, 2013 marks the 50th year of diplomatic relationships between Korea and Canada. I know there are many organizations preparing to host the events in 2013 to cement relationships between two countries.

Any last thoughts?

It’s going to be a wonderful event. Please come and celebrate the 1st Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festval on May 11 at 6:30pm @ Innis Town Hall. (2 Sussex Ave.) Admission is free of charge so bring your friends along. You will not regret it!

Cindy Zimmer: @cindyinTO
Life’s an Adventure 2: @lifesadventure2
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival: @AKSFF

Writer-director Tom Lin delivers an impressive and ambitious sophomore feature with STARRY STARRY NIGHT, a film adaptation of Jimmy Liao’s popular children’s book starring Josie Xu as the young lead, who many know from Stephen Chow’s CJ7. This Taiwanese fantasy-drama is about Mei, a young girl living in a financially stable family only to witness her parents’ marriage slowly deteriorate. As her parents begin to stray further from each other, Mei finds solace in time spent with her quirky grandfather who constantly reinforces her ever-expanding imagination with his hand-made wooden animals. Mei’s life takes a sorrowful turn when her grandpa falls ill, leaving her without any source of comfort with her parents’ looming divorce. However, she befriends a new student at school, Jay (Eric Lin), who also has trouble in his personal life. Knowing the issues in their respective lives, they take a colorful and whimsical journey into the mountains to find Mei’s grandpa’s rural cottage.

Director Lin achieved something rarely seen in recent Asian cinema with STARRY STARRY NIGHT, using visual effects as an effective narrative and visual device to push forward a captivating story, rather than superficially sprinkling CGI on top of a film to increase marketability. Almost like a cross between a Studio Ghibli film and Woody Allen’s recent Oscar-winning Midnight In Paris, Tom Lin uses a family drama as the backbone to his story as he ambitiously and successfully explores the boundless world of adolescence imagination. Lin tells the tale from the perspective of a young teenage girl and how she sees her everyday life. From adventurous and playful daydreams of your crush’s shadow appearing as a dinosaur, to having a troop of your grandfather’s wooden animals come to life to escort you home.

What STARRY STARRY NIGHT vividly portrayed with great empathy was that sensation you felt as a child where the world was your playground. Everything you saw and touch could easily morph into anything you desired. Even though it originated from your mind, every animated creature and character you saw was real through your eyes because it was you who made them. Growing up there were many things you did not understand, and when life became sad and dark, the one safe thing you could rely on was the limitless energy of your own imagination.

STARRY STARRY NIGHT made its North American premiere at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on March 16th 2012 and was presented by the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.

STARRY STARRY NIGHT will began its exclusive North American run only in Toronto on March 23rd at AMC Yonge & Dundas and AMC Kennedy Commons.

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Reel Asian: @reelasian 

Movie reviews are generally among my easiest articles to write but this has definitely been one of the most difficult. Why? Because Silenced was both a fabulously well-made movie and one of the most powerful and disturbing movies I’ve ever seen. I almost feel guilty saying good things about it because it’s about such a horrible topic. And now that I’ve peaked your interest, how about I give you a little background information about the story behind Silenced.

Silenced is a South Korean movie, released in 2011, based on a novel from 2009 about a true story of abuse at a school for hearing-impaired children in Gwangju, South Korea. In the movie, a young widower, Kang In Ho – played by Gong Yoo – gets a job as a teacher at a school for hearing-impaired children. On his way there he gets into a minor car accident and at the repair shop he runs into a young human rights lawyer, Yoo Jin – played by Jung Yu Mi – when she runs into his car in the parking lot causing further damage.

When he arrives at the school for his first day at work, the school principal and director of administration (who are twins) ask for a bribe of 50,000,000won (about $50,000CDN) to keep his job. In Ho, who really needs the job and can’t afford to pay the bribe, asks his mother for help raising the money. His mother, who lives with his young daughter who has severe asthma, finds the money by taking a mortgage on their home.

As In Ho starts teaching, he notices the withdrawn behaviour of the students and corporal punishment that is extreme. He also starts to wonder about strange noises and disappearances, and finally after seeing one of his students on a window ledge – looking like she’s about to commit suicide – he starts to take action. After saving a male student from a brutal beating and taking him to the hospital, he calls Yoo Jin and starts the process of bringing all the abuse into the light so the students can get help. And to complicate matters, he has to battle his conscience about doing the right thing (helping his students) against paying his debts and his daughter’s poor health.

I went into the movie knowing that it was based on a true story about child abuse and I was prepared for it to be hard to watch. Or rather I thought I was. Silenced was the most difficult movie I have ever watched, bar none! The subject matter is absolutely horrible but it’s also extremely well scripted, filmed and acted – especially by the child actors. I cry easily at movies, but never like I did while watching Silenced. I started crying at about the five minute mark and really didn’t stop until a few minutes after the movie finished. Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional impact of watching a small boy – about 5 or 6 years old – walk in front of a train to commit suicide. And this happens in the first five minutes of the movie. As the story unfolds, and more horror – real horror, not fake movie horror – becomes apparent, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theatre. We see great examples of humanity in some of the characters, depravity in others and how strong children can be.

I won’t lie to you; it isn’t a movie for everyone. The subject matter is sensitive and challenging to watch but it is a very powerful movie. It is also one that is extremely well made and I think, important to watch from a social commentary perspective – and not just about South Korea. Just be prepared to cry or at the very least get emotional and angry, but watch it!

Just the facts

• Movie name: Silenced (International English title), 도가니 (Korean title), Literal translation: The Crucible
• Director: Kwang Dong Hyuk
• Writer: Kong Ji Young (novel), Hwang Dong Hyuk
• Actors: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu Mi, Kim Hyun Soo, Jung In Seo, Baek Seung Hwan, Kim Ji Young, Jang Gwang
• Release date: September 22, 2011

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos was screened at the Reel Asian International Film Festival, which was likely the last time we get to see the Elric brothers in action. As a parting gift, we present to you what we thought were the Top 10 Moments of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Granted that there are many great moments throughout the Fullmetal saga, it was hard to pick only ten. More importantly, this list MOST DEFINITELY CONTAINS SPOILERS.

10. Hohenheim and Father’s origins.

After episodes (and chapters) of wondering why Father has the same face as Honhenheim, we get to see the origins of these two mysterious characters. It turns out that these two timeless figures were once friends, only to have an entire civilization wiped out, due to the greed of a “little one in the flask”. Hohenheim was forced to continue living with the souls of Xerxes citizens trapped inside of him, only to await the birth of his two sons to end it once and for all. The creation of Amestris, the Philosopher’s Stone, and countless wars were spearheaded by a little creature with a collosal God complex.

9. Alphonse sacrifices himself to revive Edward’s lost arm.

Close to the end of the Fullmetal Alchemist story, we are finally awarded with something we’ve been waiting for throughout the entire series – Edward getting his arm back! In desperation, after Ed is immobilized by a rebar impaling his left arm, Alphonse utilizes Mai’s long-distance Alkahestry to tramsmute his soul in exchamge for his brother’s long lost right arm. Renouncing loudly his younger brother’s idiotic decision, Ed valiantly fights back against Father with his reacquired right arm to end an epic battle with style.

8. Mustang incinerates Lust.

Just a fiery and intense battle between Colonel Roy Mustang and the Homunculus Lust. At first, Mustang getes stabbed in the gut by Lust, only to burn his wounds together and return the pain hundred-fold to the slutty monster. After a continuous sequence of explosions, Mustang was able to wear out the lives of Lust’s Philosopher’s Stone and claim victory to be the first to successfully kill a Homunculus.

7. Mustang takes revenge on Envy. Envy commits suicide.

Revenge is best served with FIRE! Mustang’s long awaited meeting with Envy was expected to be a fire-filled bloodbath celebrating the revenge taken for the late Maes Hughes, his best friend. Except, a few unexpected elements were added, including Mustang’s painful resistance from killing the conniving Homunculus, and also Envy’s eventual decision to take his own life. Not only did we see the moral side to this battle, where Mustang almost fell into darkness by killing for revenge, but also the sad and cruel truth of surrounding Envy. He has known for so long that humans will turn on each other when push comes to shove. But once the Fullmetal crew showed him the truly beautiful quality about humanity, it is revealed how envious Envy felt towards them.

6. Selim revealed as Pride.

This was possibly the biggest reveal of the series. Unlike the 2003 anime, where they misnamed a few Homunculi, revealing that the innocent-faced Selim Bradley as the First Homunculus was a jaw-dropping moment and a very high point in the series. Surprisingly, it was Lieutenant Hawkeye who first noticed the eerie air surrounding the Fuhrer’s son. This was also the first time we get to see Pride’s power and reach, where an ever-expanding abyssal creature with multiple mouths and eyes can spawn from Selim’s small stature.

5. Father opens the Gates of Truth of Heaven and Earth to obtain “God”

Fullmetal Alchemist at its epic finest in this scene. Utilizing the 5 human sacrifices (Ed, Al, Hohenheim, Izumi, Mustang) and the nationwide trasmutation circle surrounding Amestris, Father was able to open the Gates of Truth belonging to the Earth, which responded with the Gates of the Heavens, causing them to open as well. The planetary and celestial gates resonated with each other and Father was able to pull the “entity beyond the Gate”, whom he called God, into himself, along with thousands of souls of Amestrians. In short, he swallowed God whole.

4. Shou Tucker tramutes his daughter and dog into a chimera.

Early in the series and we’re shown what chilling dark waters Fullmetal Alchemist can take us. The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker, seemed friendly at first, but really is a psychopath whose skewed perception of success ruined his family and his life. Unable to provide convincing work leading up to his annual State Alchemist assessment, he resorts to transmuting his young daughter and his dog into a chimera who can speak. Toying with life at its finest, and most screwed up.

3. Edward finds Alphonse’s decaying body

Edward escapes the depths of Gluttony’s stomach by transmuting himself, ending up in front of the Gates of Truth once again. He then turns around and discovers another set of Gates opposite his own, and sitting in front of them was none other than Al’s malnourished body. Unable to bring it back without Al’s soul, he utters these powerful words, “Someday, I’ll definitely come back and get you. Just wait. Just WAIT!”

2. The ingredients to the Philosopher’s Stone.

Early on, we find out the necessary ingredients of creating the Philosopher’s Stone – living human beings. This legendary alchemic amplifier that was supposed to be the Elric Brothers’ key to getting their bodies back, was now not an option due to its barbaric contents. This was the point in the series where we find out Fullmetal Alchemist is much deeper than you see on the surface, and it only got deeper.

1. Hughes’ untimely demise.

This scene was probably the moment where many fell in love, and dropped their jaws, with Fullmetal Alchemist. It was an sad scene, but a pivotal one, that distinguished FMA from any anime series or manga of its time. Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes was the first to discover the nationwide conspiracy (that came to fruition towards the end of the series, check 5.), which sadly lead to his death. After a bloody fight with the homunculus Lust, he enters a phone booth attempting to notify Mustang of the conspiracy, only to be stopped by Envy, who took the appearance of his wife and shot him in cold blood.

Looking back, Arakawa-sensei’s decision to kill off a major character without any chance of resurrection, was extremely gutsy and unheard of at the time. This paved the way for success on all platforms for the franchise, marking Fullmetal Alchemist as an epic tale that was uniquely entertaining.

Spoilers end.

For more Fullmetal Alchemist goodness, check out our review on the entire franchise back when it came to an end over a year ago – Fullmetal Alchemist: A Closed Gate – A Review.

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Reel Asian: @reelasian

As a member of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival’s marketing committee, I’ve been given the awesome opportunity of reviewing films from this year’s lineup leading up to the festival. It is also an honor to be a part of Reel Asian’s very special 15th year (November 9 – 19). Up next, SAIGON ELECTRIC.

A realistically desolate story about a North Korean refugee, Jeong Seung-chul, who struggles to survive in Seoul, South Korea, The Journals of Musan is a drab portrait of a man desperately trying to find a better life in the endlessly cruel world of capitalism. Unable to find any respectable employment due to his North Korean identity card, Seung-chul is forced to post sleazy sex fliers across the city.

Unlike his roommate also from the North, Kyung-chul, who embraces the contrasting lifestyle of the big city through cheating and stealing, Seung-chul finds a little relief in a local church where he develops feelings for the pretty Sook-young. Even when he begins to work in the same karaoke bar as Sook-young, Seung-chul is constantly harassed by rival poster-boys, superiors, and his roommate, only to find comfort by adopting a stray white dog. With struggles coming in all directions, Seung-chul realizes the moral difficulties with adapting to the modern world.

Written, directed, and starred by Park Jung-bum, The Journals of Musan is a film about a topic that will never be in low demand. The tension between North and South Korea is ongoing and may be considered repetitive at times, but it will never be irrelevant. Adopting a very effective cinéma vérité visual style with hand-held DV images, which at times seems unexpectedly too truthful, catapults the hard-hitting realism of Seung-chul’s hardships into an almost painful perspective. Directed and acted superbly by Park Jung-bum, even among the constant traffic of Seoul, Park was able to create a palpable and bleak slice of a North Korean defector’s life, rather than a traditional story that goes from beginning to end.

Get your tickets to THE JOURNALS OF MUSAN (Sat Nov 12th 12pm) at Reel Asian here!

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Reel Asian: @reelasian 

As a member of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival’s marketing committee, I’ve been given the awesome opportunity of reviewing films from this year’s lineup leading up to the festival. It is also an honor to be a part of Reel Asian’s very special 15th year (November 9 – 19). Up next, SAIGON ELECTRIC.

Set in Saigon, the story begins with Mai, a traditional ribbon dancer who moves to the big city from the countryside with the goal of being accepted to the national dance academy. Unable to overcome her nerves, she fails her audition but befriends a street-smart hip-hop dancer, Kim, and the rest of her crew – Saigon Fresh.

The Fresh crew aims to compete internationally in South Korea but first they must defeat the reigning national champions at the Samsung Challenge, North Killaz from Hanoi, in order to represent Vietnam. Leading up to the challenge, Kim gets involved with a wealthy boy named Hai, and begins to distance herself from her friends. To make things worse, the youth centre they practice in is on the verge of being made into a hotel. With all these problems piling up, the outcome of the Samsung Challenge becomes more and more important.

In his sophomore feature, Stephane Gauger paints a vivid picture of youth dance culture in the bustling streets of Saigon. Although the narrative of the film may seem familiar, the characters in Saigon Electric highlight the class difference still existent in Vietnam, and in many other parts of Asia. Where Hanoi’s North Killaz “dance because they have nothing better to do”, Saigon Fresh dance because they have to. All three major characters of Mai, Kim and Do-Boy come from broken families, and they all seek refuge in dance and their youth centre. Gauger displays the growing phenomenon of hip-hop in Asia through a Vietnamese lens, showing how not only hip-hop, but also any art, should not be considered as a road to delinquency but a sanctuary for expression.

Get your tickets to SAIGON ELECTRIC at Reel Asian at the links below:
Toronto screening (Fri Nov 11th 8:45pm) or the Richmond Hill screening (Sat Nov 19th 1:30pm)

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Reel Asian: @reelasian 

As a member of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival’s marketing committee, I’ve been given the awesome opportunity of reviewing films from this year’s lineup leading up to the festival. It is also an honor to be a part of Reel Asian’s very special 15th year (November 9 – 19). Up now, SURROGATE VALENTINE.

Goh Nakamura plays Goh Nakamura in this very sweet film, where he resides in a place no guy ever wants to be in, but likely has been before – The Friend Zone. Surrogate Valentine follows Goh through his mundane life as a singer-songwriter in San Francisco, until it is talkatively interrupted by television actor, Danny Turner (Chadd Stoops). Danny shadows Goh as they tour the West Coast to methodically study the laid-back and quiet persona of the musician, for an upcoming movie role. Reluctantly placed in this odd road-trip pairing, Goh finds an unexpected friendship and new inspiration to get back the one that got away, Rachel (Lynn Chen).

In Goh Nakamura’s acting debut, he didn’t have to travel far to be present and entertaining on screen. Without much need to step into the skin of another character, it is clear that Nakamura’s innate real-life personality is quirky and wordlessly funny, so much so that he naturally carries the film. Driving the story just as well is Chadd Stoops, who portrays the overcompensating and annoyingly narcissistic Hollywood caricature in Danny Turner. The juxtaposition of the chilled out Goh and the cartoonish Danny was a delight to watch, showing that chemistry can be created even with distinct contrasts in character.

What Director Dave Boyle has done in this film was a clever repackaging of the overused “the girl that got away” plot. Instead of having it as the driving force of the narrative, which has been beaten to death by Hollywood rom-coms, Boyle seamlessly slips it in and out of the foreground to shift the focus onto his two leading men when needed. But when it comes down to it, Goh’s true motivation is blatantly Rachel. With the tasteful support of black and white visuals, and the white-on-rice compatibility of Goh’s own soundtrack, this well done indie comedy teaches us two very important lessons: If you’re a guy and you find the right girl, go for it. And if you’re a girl, be aware of the friend zone, it’s not fun to be in.

Get your tickets to SURROGATE VALENTINE at Reel Asian right here!

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Time: @bananatimes
Reel Asian @reelasian
Goh: @gohnakamura

As a member of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival’s marketing committee, I’ve been given the awesome opportunity of reviewing films from this year’s lineup leading up to the festival. It is also an honor to be a part of Reel Asian’s very special 15th year (November 9 – 19). First up, BLEAK NIGHT.

This South Korean film tells the tale of three best friends in an all-boys high school. The relationship between Ki-tae, Dong-yoon and Hee-june (aka Becky) is playful, based on insults, and at times violent. On the surface it is nothing out of the ordinary, but underneath lies a tension that causes a sudden rift between the trio. Not knowing how this conflict presented itself, these friends began to misunderstand each other and soon became divided, which sadly lead to tragedy. The victim’s father is then left to find the cause of this misfortune.

Director Yong Sung-hyun tackles the sensitive topic of suicide for his directorial debut, and he does so very carefully and ambiguously and resulted in a very honest piece of storytelling. Told non-linearly, rightfully complimented with hand-held documentarian camera work, as the viewer we tend to watch the narrative unfold through the perspective of the father. Like him, we slowly put the pieces of the story together through flashbacks, in attempt to find out why misfortune befell these three best friends.

At the young age of 29, Director Yong shows incredible promise in his future in filmmaking. BLEAK NIGHT displays the entailing complexity in taking one’s life and the subjectivity of teenage angst, such as in reality, there is never a clear answer to why a young mind would resort to suicide. Even as the film cuts to black, we cannot pinpoint the direct cause to the story’s sad events. Spearheaded by incredible performances by Lee Je-hoon, Park Jeong-min, and Jo Seong-ha (Ki-tae, Becky, Dong yoon respectively), the film was injected with a blatant adolescent voice rarely seen in recent cinema. Even on less bleak nights, friendships are fragile, and words are more damaging than they seem.

Get your tickets to BLEAK NIGHT at Reel Asian in the links below:
Toronto screening (Sat Nov 12th 2:45pm) or the Richmond Hill screening (Sat Nov 19th 4pm)

Philbert: @philbertlui
Banana Times: @bananatimes
Reel Asian: @reelasian 

The 83^rd Annual Academy Awards are tomorrow and the class of films from 2010 far surpasses the lineup from last year’s Oscars. Not only do all the films from the inflated 10 Best Picture nominees deserve to be nominated, but they also lack the scrutiny of controversy we saw last year. Need I remind you of The Blind Side’s unexplainable seat in the Best Picture category, and the even more baffling win of Sandra Bullock for Best Actress.

However, we return this season with an abundance of great stories of fiction and non-fiction alike with little to no controversy, or so they say. There were many snubs this year, and rightfully so, seeing that great collection of films there were this year. Without delay, here are our Banana Oscar Predictions 2011:

Best Supporting Actress:

Banana’s Choice – Melissa Leo as Alice Ward

Winner – Melissa Leo

Dark Banana – Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross

Opening the night of the ceremony would be the supporting cast awards, and Melissa Leo has a pretty firm grip on this one. Although Leo’s castmate, Amy Adams, also gave a memorable and feisty performance, Leo as Alice Ward convinced the audience that she can truly embody a powerful mother who has a posse of 8 children as an intimidating entourage. However, if the academy were swooned enough, the dark horse (or banana) would definitely be Hailee Steinfeld’s debut performance in True Grit. If this was not her first film, she would have been easily been nominated in the Best Actress category.

Best Supporting Actor:

Banana’s Choice – Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund

Winner – Christian Bale

Dark Banana – Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue

It is safe to say that the supporting cast of The Fighter drove the film into greatness. Surrounding the mediocre and quiet performance of their lead in Mark Walhberg, was a brilliant cast of actors who commanded the film from the sides. Much like his former castmate, the brilliant late Heath Ledger two years ago, Christian Bale is without a doubt set to win this Oscar. There isn’t really a dark horse in this category, but if there was an incomprehensible twist of fate, I would choose Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech as the underdog.

Best Original Screenplay:

Banana’s Choice – The King’s Speech

Winner – The King’s Speech

Dark Banana – The Kids Are All Right

A stunning script and a brilliant film. Not only did the screenplay bore a great true tale, but the back story of its writer David Seidler, shows that he is even more worthy of this award. Suffering a stutter in his speech much like King George VI, Seidler aspired to write this tale of his former king but was denied by Queen Mary to make the film until after she passed. Through patience and perseverance to be heard despite having a speech impediment, this screenplay is more than worthy.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Banana’s Choice – The Social Network

Winner – The Social Network

Dark Banana – 127 Hours

The Social Network was an extremely well crafted story written by the brilliance of Aaron Sorkin. Told through different points in time of a group of young aspiring entrepreneurs, this tale is a generation-defining narrative that would be a staple in our modern society so long as Facebook exists. I have been comparing The Social Network to The Dark Knight ever since I watched it (twice). It may be a stretch of a comparison to most, but I stick by it. In The Dark Knight, if you took away the name “Batman” and “The Joker”, what remains is still a masterpiece of modern crime drama. The same goes with The Social Network. Subtract the global Internet phenomena that redefined social interaction for decades to come, “Facebook”, what you are left with is still a dramatic tale of betrayal and friendship between brilliant young minds who aimed for greatness.

Best Animated Feature Film:

Banana’s Choice – Toy Story 3

Winner – Toy Story 3

Dark Banana – None

There is no contest here. There was a brief point in time last year, before Toy Story 3 was released that I thought How To Train Your Dragon was Dreamworks’ ticket to edging out Pixar this year. But I was gladly wrong.

Best Actress:

Banana’s Choice – Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers

Winner – Natalie Portman

Dark Banana – Annette Bening as Nic

Natalie Portman’s work in Black Swan was her best dramatic performance to date, and it clearly shows. Enduring the notoriously demanding productions of director Daron Aronofsky, Portman’s commitment to this role is staggering. Her preparation of weight loss and ballet training a year leading up to filming is truly evident throughout the entire movie. It is hard to pinpoint whether she had any stand-ins at all. Moreover, her transformation from being the innocent pushover to the insane perfectionist was a true embodiment of a white swan evolving into the black swan. Annette Bening makes a run for her money, but Natalie has got this one down.

Best Actor:

Banana’s Choice – James Franco as Aron Ralston

Winner – Colin Firth as Prince Albert/King George VI

Dark Banana – James Franco

A lot of critics and writers are fairly confident that Colin Firth is set to win Best Actor, but I believe James Franco’s performance has a good chance at pulling an upset towards the end of tomorrow night. As great of a performance as Colin Firth gave, James Franco did something that was unconventional. Even within the historic confines of The King’s Speech, the film was made with full intention of making the audience ‘feel good’. It was a triumphant story that connected with the majority but it has been seen before. Franco’s story, although also about perseverance, he made us believe for a large part of the film that he was not going to make it. I believe the critics are also weighing the more evident supporting cast and commercial success of The King’s Speech in comparison to 127 Hours. But as the sole lead, I think James Franco gave a louder and leading performance.

Best Director:

Banana’s Choice – David Fincher in The Social Network

Winner – David Fincher

Dark Banana – Tom Hooper in The King’s Speech

Sidestepping from his usual serial killer film and backwards-aging epic, David Fincher surpasses expectation and brought forth a film that would set that standard for the modern digital age. As we progress further into the 21^st century, more stories revolving around the facets of the Internet will emerge and The Social Network will be there to guide emerging filmmakers in creating those narratives. This is not to say there will be an abundance of futuristic films to come, but more present-day films will arise to keep up with our ever-growing digital age. And mere years from now, when we look back at how much has changed with cinema within the last decade, I believe we will see David Fincher and The Social Network as a major catalyst. Might I add that Christopher Nolan got snubbed in this category.

Best Picture:

Banana’s Choice – The Social Network

Winner – The Social Network

Dark Banana – The King’s Speech

Again, critics are raving for The King’s Speech to take home the big one. But to be blunt, don’t we have enough films about the British monarchy? Many say that the academy will lean towards The King’s Speech due to the majority of its members being older, but they will see pass the historic and focus on the present, which is The Social Network. The emotional period classic no longer has its power over the academy as it used to. Looking back on the Best Pictures of previous years, the academy have chosen modern day films to win with The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, The Departed over historic pieces such as Inglorious Basterds, The Reader, There Will Be Blood, The Queen etc. And with a relevant and generation-defining film such as The Social Network, I believe the exception will not happen this year.

-phibz.

The 2010-2011 Golden Globe Awards are on this weekend, and I think the title of this post sums up what I have to say about this year’s nominations. The Golden Globes are BALLS!

Being an avid wannabe moviegoer and an aspiring filmmaker who thoroughly believes in cinematic magic, I hate to admit that the film industry could be politically motivated or just plain rigged. The Golden Globes continue to display questionable nomination after questionable nomination, furthering themselves from their goal of being on the same level as the Oscars. I think it’s time someone bought the Hollywood Foreign Press an English dictionary so they can look up the word “comedy” and find out its literal definition.

Best Motion Picture – Drama:

Nominees – Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The King’s Speech, The Social Network

This category makes the most sense to me. Granted that films like 127 Hours and True Grit could be considered as well, but this is a solid lineup of dramatic films. The rest of the categories, I’m not so sure.

My Pick: The Social Network / Reality Pick: The King’s Speech or Inception

It may not be an accurate depiction of the lives of the creators of Facebook, but it was one hell of a movie. It was like The Dark Knight in a way. If you took out the name “Batman” or “Joker” as the primary hero and villain, The Dark Knight would still be a masterpiece of a crime drama. Same with The Social Network. Take out the name “Facebook” as the Internet phenomenon, an excellent dramatic film still remains. Due to their non-American production (The King’s Speech) and high gross (Inception), these two films might actually take the win. You know how the Globes are; they gave it to Avatar last year.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama:

Nominees – Halle Berry (Frankie and Alice), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Willians (Blue Valentine)

My Pick: Natalie Portman / Reality Pick: Natalie Portman

Although Nicole Kidman evidently shows that she’s still got her dramatic acting chops, and the surprising breakout performance by Jennifer Lawrence, I think Natalie Portman has a pretty tight grip on this one. Judging by her amazing performance in Black Swan and less critical press about the other nominees, I’m confident that she’d take the Globe and the Oscar.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama:

Nominees – Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), James Franco (127 Hours), Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine), Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter)

My Pick: James Franco / Reality Pick: Colin Firth

All good picks except Mark Wahlberg, whom I think is a filler pick, and I have a feeling he will appear again as a filler pick when the Oscars come. The ones that stood out the most for me were James Franco and Colin Firth’s performances. Jesse Eisenberg played a great asshole version of Mark Zuckerberg (or a lesser asshole) but I still could not see past his type-casted, stereotyped self. James Franco is my favorite to win because of his ability to make it feel like 127 hours, when the film lasted less than two. I’m betting that he would be the first host of the Oscars ever to win. Colin Firth is a very close second and also his best performance yet.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:

Nominees – Alice In Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, Red, The Tourist

My Pick: The Kids Are All Right / Reality Pick: Who gives a f***!

This is where shit hits the fan. This is what gives the movie industry a bad rep. Let’s start at the top shall we:
Alice In Wonderland. This movie is only passable to be nominated in this category because of its musical background and whimsical nature. Fine, I accept that, barely.
Burlesque. Technically, it is a musical. But regular movie folks should know it is definitely not awards worthy. The only other musical released this year was the animated “Tangled”, which much more deserves a nomination than this Cher-like mess.
The Kids Are Alright. The most deserving nomination in this category and should be the rightful winner. The ensemble cast blends effortlessly together in this underrated independent film exploring the complexities of lesbian parents, surrogate fathers, and (no pun intended) a modern American family.
Red. Marketed as an action-comedy but it wasn’t that funny. Want a comic book movie that covers “comedy” and “musical”? Scott Pilgrim VS The World! I would think this would be an obvious choice. It is truly disappointing that it was not seen by more people.
The Tourist. F*** it. The most bullsh** nomination I have ever seen.

In my ideal world, these should be the nominations:

Get Him To The Greek, I Love You Philip Morris, Scott Pilgrim VS The World, The Kids Are Alright, Toy Story 3

And Toy Story 3 would win it by miles. I think Toy Story 3, I Love You Philip Morris and The Kids Are Alright have a shot at Best Picture nominations when the Oscars come. I can even list a few more films as honorable mentions to show how messed up the nominations for this category are: Easy A, Despicable Me, Date Night, Due Date, How To Train Your Dragon, Kick Ass, Tangled

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical:

Nominees – Annette Bening (The Kids Are Alright), Anne Hathaway (Love & Other Drugs), Angelina Jolie (The Tourist), Julianne Moore (The Kids Are Alright), Emma Stone (Easy A)

My Pick: Julianne Moore / Reality Pick: Again, who gives?

Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie both don’t deserve to be on that list. Granted, this is a very tough category to nominate for, as funny actresses are rare these days. I won’t rant more on the disaster that is The Tourist being in any of the comedic categories. But I will say that Julianne Moore should win this category because she was the centerpiece that made The Kids Are All Right such a delight to watch. She could get an Oscar nomination with Bening getting one for Supporting Actress. To fill in the rest of the nominations, I would choose Tina Fey (Date Night) and Rachel McAdams (Morning Glory) for the heck of it.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:

Nominees – Johnny Depp (Alice In Wonderland & The Tourist), Paul Giamatti (Barney’s Version), Jake Gyllenhaal (Love & Other Drugs), Kevin Spacey (Casino Jack)

My Pick: Kevin Spacey / Reality Pick: PROBABLY Johnny Depp…

Like the previous category, Johnny Depp from The Tourist and Jake Gyllenhaal is a frustrating mystery on this list. Although Casino Jack was a weak film adapted from real life, Kevin Spacey performed well as Jack Abramoff and carried the messy film all on his own. Other possible nominees that would have made more sense: Russel Brand and Jonah Hill (Get Him To The Greek).

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:

Nominees – Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Mila Kunis (Black Swan), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

My Pick: Melissa Leo / Reality Pick: Amy Adams

I think the press would give the award to Amy Adams because her role is hierarchically less of a supporting character than Melissa Leo’s character. But in terms of performance, Leo definitely made her presence more evident than the Amy Adams. I would undoubtedly nominate Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) over the Helena Bonham Carter and Mila Kunis due to her prodigy-like breakout performance in her first major film.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:

Nominees – Christian Bale (The Fighter), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech)

My Pick: Christian Bale / Reality Pick: Christian Bale

Christian Bale takes this award and the Oscars by a mile weeks before any nomination lists were released. Much like how Heath Ledger stole the film with his spellbinding performance in The Dark Knight, Bale stole The Fighter and made it seem like more of a Dick Ecklund film rather than a Mickey Ward film. Irony at its finest. Michael Douglas seems like a filler nomination or a sympathy vote, as offensive as that sounds. Ewan McGregor would have been a more fitting nomination from I Love You Philip Morris.

The Rest:

For Best Director, I would be content if either Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher wins. Both executed their creative leadership respectively in the constructs of two very different films. Aronofsky, the indie film genius, does it again with limited resources and pushed everyone’s performances to their best. Fincher morphs a near-perfect script and a group of young talent into a film about the one of the most significant inventions of the Internet age. I would argue that Danny Boyle should also be as deserving a nomination for his unique and true depiction of Aron Ralston’s death-defying story.

As for Best Screenplay, I would have 127 Hours and The Social Network as the leaders of the pack, but with Aaron Sorkin’s genius writing to win it all, even the Oscar. Due to his screenplay, as inaccurate as it might be, it highlights very relevant current events and people and what can be seen as a device that is changing the way people live in the world. Also because of Sorkin and Fincher, Mark Zuckerberg was named TIME’s Person Of The Year. The Social Network goes beyond film, into politics, and into people’s personal lives.

It is inevitable that Toy Story 3 would win Best Animated Film. I had a pretty confident thought that Dreamworks would finally take it back from Pixar this year when How To Train Your Dragon first came out in March. Boy was I very wrong in June when TS3 was released.

As for television…

Breaking Bad not being nominated for Best TV Drama is a sin. Dexter being nominated on the other hand is an even bigger sin, with their poorest season yet. How the Globes find Glee and Nurse Jackie to be more comedic than clearly the best show on TV this Fall/Winter, Community, is light-years beyond me. Julia Stiles in Dexter was a very unlikable character, and another anomaly of a nomination. And last but not least, Scott Caan nominated for his role in Hawaii Five-0?! I vote Donald Glover to replace his nomination spot immediately.

As I stated in the title of this post, this year more than any year before, the Golden Globes have demonstrated their lack of creative criticism, their politically steered intentions, and overall ridiculousness. Yes. This year more than ever, the Golden Globes are BALLS! Let’s hope the Oscars are better.

-phibz.