AVATAR and such

WOW. that is all I can say regarding what I just saw. I know i probably waited a little too long to see Avatar, the movie that is now the second highest grossing film of all time worldwide, after another James Cameron film you may have heard of, Titanic. Avatar just blows the mind in every way possible. The film is visually stunning, and anyone that said that the film had no plot clearly saw a different film than I just saw. A love story set against the backdrop of a racial war about to take place between humans and the Na'vi people, the film has just something for just about everyone. It's funny, witty, and smart---and i only looked at my phone once (except for when it died and it made a loud annoying buzzing noise). I would definitely recommend seeing it in atleast 3D--I did not see it in IMAX, but I heard it is a different experience altogether. But if youre not going to see it in one of those two ways, than dont bother seeing it at all. Cameron made this film for it to be seen in 3D, and you wont get the full effect of the film if you do not see it that way. I am a little disappointed that Sigourney Weaver is not getting more buzz for her role in the film- it would nice to see the film get at least one acting nomination, and hers should be it. But alas, the best supporting actress race this year is an extremely tight one, and she will probably be left on the cutting room floor.

In terms of other oscar worthy films, i saw The Lovely Bones and Up this past weekend. The Lovely Bones clearly does not have much support from its studio, as its wide release date was pushed back to January 15th, away from all the chaos that is Christmas film releases. I did not read the book, however, the movie was deeply moving and portrayed beautifully. Peter Jackson, along with James Cameron, is one of the most brilliant directors of our time, and this film only strengthens that. Up was a typical Pixar movie and exactly what i expected, but it was still great nonetheless. Somehow, Pixar knows every time how to find a hit, no matter the topic. Do not be surprised if you find Up was one of the 10 nominees this year for Best Picture at the Oscars. Also saw Invictus this past break. Ever since Morgan Freeman came to prominence in the early 1990s, people have been saying that he was born to play Nelson Mandela- and he lived up to that. He truly embodied one of the most beloved men of our time. Although the movie was more about the 1995 Rugby World Cup than the life of Mandela, it was truly a great film and one that should not be missed.

Also looking forward to hopefully catching Crazy Heart this weekend, as people have been touting Jeff Bridge's performance for weeks now. I think he might just win the oscar--its really a toss up between him, Colin Firth (a Single Man) or Morgan Freeman (Invictus). That should be an interested race come Oscar time.

Started my job at Sony Music this week- never envisioned I would be doing stuff like this, but it is extremely interesting and I am truly learning a lot. That is all for now.

EP