Smash (NBC) - Pilot Review

NBC's new musical drama series Smash proves that there really is no biz like show biz.

The network's advertising campaign for the series reads with the tagline: Stars aren't born, they're made. And in this case, these "stars" are made by the top-notch, award-winning creative team behind the series, with Academy Award winning director Steven Spielberg as executive producer and original music composed by Tony Award nominated pair Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. But then again, the show itself isn't lacking in star-power either. Academy Award winner Angelica Huston, Emmy nominated actress Debra Messing, Jack Davenport and American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee are only some of the notable actors in the series. With a team like this, it is no doubt that this series is, well, going to be a smash.

The show follows two composers, Julia Houstin(Messing) and Tom Levitt(Christian Borle) who come with the idea of developing a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When the pair enlist ambitious Broadway ensemble actress Ivy Lynn(Megan Hilty) to record a demo track for their new vision, the track goes viral and attracts the attention of a producer(Angelica Huston), and a rude but widely talented director(Jack Davenport). But what the director Derek Wills wants is an icon, not "a trooper" as he says. Not entirely convinced that Ivy is the right girl for the part, auditions are then held to find the female lead for the show...which is where Katharine McPhee steps into the picture. McPhee portrays an aspiring actress who is working as a waitress. Her freshness and innocence is what ultimately intrigues Wills, thus giving the production team not one, but two actresses to choose from for the coveted role of Marilyn Monroe.

For those weary of whether or not this series is simply a Glee rehash, fear not—because it isn't. Smash is very much realistic, with the musical numbers implemented in each episode making sense and not simply just having the actors break out into song-and-dance just 'cause they want to. Another differentiation from the FOX phenom is that Smash features original music from Hairspray and more recently Catch Me If You Can composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who dish out two catchy showtunes in the pilot episode.

Smash is a series that chronicles the backstage drama and the road to creating a Broadway show, and while it may seem like a series that only theatre gurus would enjoy, it isn't. As actress Megan Hilty brilliantly states, "I liked ER, but that doesn't mean that I wanted to become a doctor." You may not have any pre-existing theatre knowledge, but that does not mean that Smash won't be your cup of tea. The series is filled with your dose of television breakups, hookups and family dilemmas, with as much and if not more delicious storylines than your favorite primetime soaps.

The pilot of Smash is currently available for free for streaming on the NBC website, as well as for download on iTunes and Amazon for those of you who cannot wait. But for those of you who can, the series debuts February 6th, after the second season premiere of The Voice.

"Smash" airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.

The Artist (2012) - Film Review

If there was ever a film that completely sweeps up every award at the Oscars, and entirely deserves it, it would be The Artist.

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, the French silent film is in every way, nostalgic and authentic in its artistic creation. Starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo in the lead roles, the film takes place during the 1920's and early 1930's of the Hollywood film industry, documenting the transition from silent films into the era of the talkies.

George Valentin(Jean Dujardin) is a silent film star who is attending the premiere of his latest film, "A Russian Affair" in Hollywood 1927. Following the film's screening, he steps out of the theatre for photos for the press. When a young female fan, Peppy Miller(Bérénice Bejo) accidentally stumbles out into Valentin's spotlight during his photoshoot, she lands herself on the front cover of Variety and instantly becomes the talk of the town. As Peppy continues to garner more attention first with the photo and later with an audition for a film that George Valentin is the star of, their friendship is put to the test when the silent film era comes to a close. As the stock-market crash in 1929 hits, Valentin finds his career coming to an end, while Miller herself becomes the leading lady to the public.

Words cannot even begin to describe how marvelous The Artist is. Jean Dujardin gives a commanding performance in the role of George Valentin, and Bérénice Bejo is equally adorable as she is talented in the role of Peppy Miller. Their onscreen chemistry is impenetrable, and has audiences so emotionally engaged in both of their character's journey throughout the film. Their talent is further proven to be indestructible when the two perform a spectacular tap dance number in the film.

The cinematography and screenplay also helps create the tone of the film, and when being watched in a theatre it makes you forget that you are living in the 21st century. The film transports you back to the days when big budget special effects and 3-D was not necessary in making a movie good or crowd pleasing. The artistic beauty of the film in and of itself is a tribute to the cinematic arts, and a worthy one. Further, the musical score composed by Ludovic Bource entirely corresponds with the narrative of the film and drives the emotional aspect of the film forward.

The Artist is a magnificent work of art that proves that you don't need all of the modern technology used today in many films to create a spectacle. But what it also goes to show is that the art of filmmaking is timeless, and something that was raved about many years ago can still be a hit in the present.

Touch (FOX) - Television Review

24's Kiefer Sutherland returns to television in Tim Kring's new thought-provoking and intriguing FOX drama series Touch.

The series from Heroes creator follows Martin Bohm(Sutherland), a single father whose wife died in the 9/11 attacks and is left alone to raise his 11-year-old son, Jake Bohm(David Mazouz), who is believed to be autistic. The pilot episode opens to Jake sitting on top of an electricity tower as her informs the audience that everyone in this world is in some way, shape or form connected. Obsessed with numbers and somehow unable or unwilling to speak, Jake is sent to an institution after a social worker, Clea Hopkins(Gugu Mbatha-Raw) comes to evaluate and conclude that it is best for Jake to be put in the institute. What unfolds is a string of global events—a man looking for his missing phone; a young woman with aspiring to become a singer; and a young boy faced with an economical family dilemma—that somehow find their way to connect together all through the numbers that Jake writes out.

From the innovative title sequence to the very last minutes of the pilot, extraordinary cinematography is incorporated to tell this story of social connectivity. The pilot is not only well-written, engaging and impeccably executed, but also manages to tug at your emotions, especially with the relationship between the father and son pair.

The series itself seems like a unusual concept for a television series, as one could assume that there is no life that could live beyond the pilot for narrative like this. However, upon finishing the premiere episode I can confidently say that not only will the pilot leave you pondering what will happen next, but it also makes you eager to get the next installment immediately. FOX has a new hit on their hands, one that is not only interesting but also magnetically interesting.

"Touch" premieres Monday, March 19 at 9/8c on FOX.

Oscars 2012 - Who I Want To Win

In light of the 2012 Academy Awards nominations being announced today, I've decided to make a list, not of who I think will win but simply who I want to win. My picks are highlighted in BOLD.

Best Picture

“War Horse”
“The Artist”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Descendants”
“The Tree of Life”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best Actress

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Terrence Malick, “Tree of Life”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”

Best Original Screenplay

“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“Margin Call”
“Midnight in Paris”
“A Separation”

Best Adapted Screenplay

“The Descendants”
“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Best Animated Feature

“A Cat in Paris”
“Chico & Rita”
“Kung Fu Panda 2”
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

Best Art Direction

“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“War Horse”

Best Cinematography

“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Best Costumes

“Anonymous”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“W.E.”

Film Editing

“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”

Make-Up

“Albert Nobbs”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
“The Iron Lady"

Original Score

“The Adventures of TinTin”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy:
“War Horse”

Original Song

“Man or Muppet”
“Real in Rio”

Sound Editing

“Drive”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Visual effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards - My Predictions

The Golden Globes is tomorrow night, so I thought that I would just share my predictions for who I think would (and should) win in the categories below. If it were up to me however, "War Horse" would have received more nominations than it did but hopefully that is what the Oscars will make up for when it announces its nominations in the coming weeks.

MOVIE CATEGORIES

Best Motion Picture -- Drama

"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"The Ides of March"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"

Best Motion Picture -- Comedy

"50/50"
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"My Week With Marilyn"
"Midnight in Paris"

Best Actress -- Drama

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Best Actor -- Drama

George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Michael Fassbender, "Shame"
Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Actress -- Comedy

Jodie Foster, "Carnage"
Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Kate Winslet, "Carnage"

Best Actor -- Comedy

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Brendan Gleeson, "The Guard"
Ryan Gosling, "Crazy Stupid Love"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "50/50"
Owen Wilson, "Midnight in Paris"

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Best Director

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
George Clooney, "The Ides of March"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Screenplay

"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Ides of March"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"

Best Animated Film

"The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Cars 2"
"Puss In Boots"
"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film

"A Separation" (Iran)
"The Flowers Of War" (China)
"The Kid With The Bike" (Belgium)
"In The Land Of Blood and Honey" (USA)
"The Skin I Live In" (Spain)

Best Original Score

Ludovic Bource, "The Artist"
Abel Korzeniowski, "W.E."
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
Howard Shore, "Hugo"
John Williams, "War Horse"

Best Original Song

"Hello Hello" by Elton John, "Gnomeo & Juliet"
"Lay Your Head Down" by Sinead O'Connor, "Albert Nobbs"
"The Living Proof," by Mary J. Blige, "The Help"
"The Keeper," by Gerard Butler, "Machine Gun Preacher"
"Masterpiece," by Madonna, "W.E."


TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best Television Series - Drama

American Horror Story (FX)
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Boss (STARZ)
Game Of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (SHOWTIME)


Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes, "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)
Mireille Enos, "The Killing" (AMC)
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Madeleine Stowe, "Revenge" (ABC)
Callie Thorne, "Necessary Roughness" (USA)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Kelsey Grammer, "Boss" (STARZ)
Jeremy Irons, "The Borgias" (SHOWTIME)
Damian Lewis, "Homeland" (SHOWTIME)

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Enlightened (HBO)
Episodes (SHOWTIME)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
New Girl (FOX)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Laura Dern, "Enlightened" (HBO)
Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl" (FOX)
Tina Fey, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Laura Linney, "The Big C" (Showtime)
Amy Poehler, "Parks And Recreation" (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" (NBC)
David Duchovny, "Californication" (SHOWTIME)
Johnny Galecki, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Thomas Jane, "Hung" (HBO)
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes" (SHOWTIME)

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television

Cinema Verite (HBO)
Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) (PBS)
The Hour (BBC AMERICA)
Mildred Pierce (HBO)
Too Big To Fail (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Romola Garai, "The Hour" (BBC AMERICA)
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite" (HBO)
Elizabeth McGovern, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult" (ITV)
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hugh Bonneville, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Idris Elba, "Luther"
William Hurt, "Too Big To Fail" (HBO)
Bill Nighy, "Page Eight" (Masterpiece)
Dominic West, "The Hour" (BBC AMERICA)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story" (FX)
Kelly MacDonald, "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey" (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family" (ABC)
Evan Rachel Wood, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Peter Dinklage, "Game Of Thrones" (HBO)
Paul Giamatti "Too Big To Fail" (HBO)
Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce" (HBO)
Tim Robbins, "Cinema Verite" (HBO)
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (ABC)

My Top 5 Movies of 2011

2011 was yet another year filled with many great and entertaining movies, and while there were just as many hits as there were misses, I've narrowed it down to 5 films that I personally thought was my favorite movies of 2011.


5. Friends with Benefits
This romantic comedy starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake pokes fun at the rom-com cliches while also making audience laugh out loud through the hilarious plot that is almost entirely similar, though executed better than No Strings Attached. With a screenplay written by Will Gluck, the same person behind the perfectly hilarious Easy A, and impeccable chemistry between the film's two leads, it was no doubt that this movie is not only highly entertaining, but also worth watching over and over again.


4. The Help
Adapted from the New York times bestselling novel, this movie adaptation stars Emma Stone in a racist-filled community of Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer give powerfully moving performances worthy of an Oscar in their respective roles.


3. X-Men: First Class
In what was the best superhero movie of the year, X-Men: First Class delivers on both storytelling and action. With a stellar cast led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, this installment breathed new life into the staling X-Men series. Here's to hoping there will be more sequel featuring McAvoy and Fassbender.


2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
The end of another era came in the form of the Harry Potter series coming to an epic end. The final part of the book series movie adaptation not only charted a new milestone in the careers of the film's three leads, but also beautifully wrapped up what is one of the greatest stories ever told.


1. War Horse
Steven Spielberg brings to live the Tony Award-winning play about a boy and his horse during World War I. The film is beautifully shot, wonderfully orchestrated, and is bound to make you cry like a teenage girl thanks to the emotionally invigorating tale and intense bond between a man and his animal.

Fall TV's Breakout Stars of 2011

Every year there are a handful of shows that debut on television in the fall, and with these shows come breakout stars worth talking about. Below is my list of five actors and actresses that I believe were this year's breakout television stars of the season.



1. Wilson Bethel, Hart of Dixie
Bluebell, Alabama's hunky Southern bad boy Wade Kinsella proved to fans that he is a worthy suitor for Rachel Bilson's Dr. Zoe Hart in The CW's heartfelt new drama Hart of Dixie, and Wilson Bethel proved that he is not only easy on the eyes but also extremely talented as an actor.




2. Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
You may have found her extremely annoying in 500 Days of Summer, but the She & Him singer proves that she can be both funny and adorable in FOX's comedy New Girl.




3. Stephen Amell, Hung
After guest appearances on Vampire Diaries and CSI, Stephen Amell joined the cast of HBO's Hung and breathed new life in a series that was growing rather stale. Not only was he funny, but he also showed the potential to take on leading man roles in the near future.




4. Evan Peters, American Horror Story
As one of Dr. Pete Harmon's patients on FX's horror-hit American Horror Story, Evan Peters brought a whole new level of creepy to the series in his breakout role as Tate.




5. Emily VanCamp, Revenge
You loved her on Everwood and now you've fallen in love with her all over again in her deliciously vindictive lead role in ABC's soapy hit Revenge.