Posts by driftingseal11

I won't lie, this is easily one of my most anticipated movies of 2014 so far.

Has everyone seen Mary Poppins? Even if you haven't, don't sweat it—the backstory of how that movie actually came to be is just as fascinating. We've got Saving $\text{Mr. Banks}$ coming from director John Lee Hancock ($\text{The Blind Side}$), featuring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson as Walt Disney and author P. L. Travers. The film is sitting pretty at a solid 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it's a bit lower at 65% on Metacritic, it's still holding up well. The real standout here is Emma Thompson; people are already buzzing about her potentially snagging an Oscar nomination for Best Actress this year.

Official synopsis:

Walt Disney courted P. L. Travers into letting Him option The rights to Mary Poppins is brought to The Screen in this non-fiction drama starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Colin Farrell. A doting father, Walt Disney (Hanks) promises his adoring daughters that he will bring their favorite fictional nanny Mary Poppins to the big screen. Little does Walt realize that surly author P. L. Travers Has no intention of seeing her most famous creation bastardized for moviegoers, a fact that makes keeping his promise a difficult endeavor. Years later, however, when Travers' book sales begin to slow, dwindling finances drive her to schedule a meeting with Disney to discuss the film rights to the beloved story.

Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Written by: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
Cast: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman
Release Date: December 20, 2013 [USA], January 16, 2014 [USA]
Genre: biography, comedy, drama

TRAILER

In the US, they're playing it during the last two weeks of the year, but we'll get to see it in theaters on January 16th. For those who can't wait, the screener is already out.

I caught this one a few weeks back... and honestly? It's alright. It’s definitely not some cinematic masterpiece, but I don't regret spending two hours on it. De Niro is flawless, obviously—that smirk he gives when they're watching Goodfellas in the theater was everything. 🤣 That whole subplot about the daughter, though? Total garbage. And let's be real, Michelle Pfeiffer has aged quite a bit since her Catwoman days...

It’s passable and fun enough while you're watching, but it's pretty forgettable once the credits roll.

Why? What’s so bad about it? I mean, she’s already cleaned up quite a few Emmy Awards and Golden Globes over the last two years. Everything from the screenplay to the acting, and even some of the technical categories.

Yeah, unfortunately, I'm seeing the same thing. Honestly, all three of those shows are top-tier in my book. But maybe it’s actually okay—giving more breathing room to the newer series. Still, Homeland was definitely the first one that popped into my head because ever since it premiered, it was basically a magnet for awards. Season one? Boom—4 Emmy Awards and 2 Golden Globes. Then season two hits and you get another 2 Emmy Awards and 3 Golden Globes. It honestly blows my mind that they went from all that straight down to zero nominations.

Totally expected, really. No big surprises here. Well, maybe one little thing. I figured most of these picks were coming, but there are a couple of names that actually caught me off guard—in a good way! I’m talking about Rush in the Best Drama category. Even though the reviews were killer, I wasn't entirely sure if it would translate to awards. At least for the Golden Globes so far; we'll just have to see what happens with the Oscars. It’s solid, though. As for the lead actors, which was probably more predictable, I’m stoked to see Idris Elba. And for supporting roles, Daniel Brühl is back for Rush, along with that pirate guy from Captain Phillips. For people like Kate Winslet and Greta Gerwig, I have this feeling they were just there to fill the gaps. Not that they weren't great—I just watched Frances Ha recently—but there just wasn't that massive hype about them winning anything big.

As for the TV shows, I am genuinely shocked that Homeland isn't showing up anywhere, not even for Best Series. Neither The Americans nor Lewis made the cut, and those two have basically swept every award over the last two years. You can see that classic pattern where the Golden Globes try to make room for newer shows, providing that typical dose of surprise. Orange Is the New Black, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Michael J. Fox Show... and am I seeing things, or is Ernie Spader actually nominated for The Blacklist? 😲

Anyway, I’ve always liked the Golden Globes because they feel more casual than the Oscars or the Emmy Award. Since they split categories into comedy and drama, you naturally get more nominations and fewer "snubs." 😁 Tina and Amy are leading the pack again this year, so let's see how it unfolds on January 12th, 2014. And yeah, I agree, this is one hell of a year for movies. If you ask me, it's better than the last two years combined.

Reese Witherspoon - I just can't stand her. She’s such a boring actress, and for some reason, I just can't get into anything she does. Beyond her, my go-to picks are pretty standard; Sandler, Kutcher, Kristen Stewart... those are the names that immediately come to mind, though I could probably dig up a few more if I actually bothered to think about it.

As for Nicolas Cage, I think he's actually a really solid actor, but lately, his role selection has been absolute garbage. Ghost Rider, Drive Angry.... REALLY? He was killing it back in the 90s with action classics like The Rock, Con Air, and stuff like that, but now he's just picking up straight trash. I still believe he's got it in him when he actually tries, though—just look at Lord of War.

It’s true, ever since Titanic hit theaters, studios seem to prioritize the romance during pre-production for these disaster flicks, treating everything else as an afterthought. 🤣 Honestly though, I’m not really feeling much hype for this one. I’ve never been particularly big on ancient history movies, nor am I the biggest fan of Paul W. S. Anderson.