I forgot all about this new movie that Benicio Del Toro is starring in. I remember seeing a feature on it a couple of weeks ago on TV and I remember making a mental note about featuring it here but I guess I forgot all about it…

Anyhow, in case you have not heard of it, Del Toro is playing Che Guevara in Steven Soderbergh’s movie titled Che. I personally think that Del Toro is perfect for the character as he is no stranger to controversial movies and roles. And believe me, the movie is as controversial as it can get.

So what is the movie all about? Obviously, it focuses on the life of the late revolutionary leader who stood for a lot of things, many of which might have been forgotten by today’s generation. The movie follows Che’s life from Mexico to Cuba then on to New York and finally Bolivia.

The beginnings of the movie can actually be attributed to Del Toro himself, who found himself enchanted with Che’s book, The Bolivian Diary. He then presented the idea for a movie to producer Laura Bickford. The result is another compelling performance from the actor. By the way, he has already won a best actor award for this performance – at the Cannes Film Festival, no less. If anything, that should be an indication that this film is something to watch out for.

Che opened in some theatres in the US late last week so you can check your local theatres for their own screening schedule.

The festival should be well under way as I write this blog entry. The Sundance Film Festival has a long, colorful, and proud history and this year, the tradition continues. This year’s festival runs from the 15th of January to the 25th, with a lot in store for participants.

One distinct attribute of this year’s Sundance Festival is that the films that are being shown are not specific to a single genre. According to Geoffrey Gilmore, the director of the festival, “This year’s films are not narrowly defined. Instead we have a blurring of genres, a crossing of boundaries: geographic, generational, socio-economic and the like. The result is both an exhilarating and emotive Festival in which traditional mythologies are suspended, discoveries are made, and creative storytelling is embraced.”

He couldn’t have put that in a more attractive way, could he? A wild mixture of stories and styles – that’s what you can expect from a visit to the festival. If it is too late for you to head on over there, you can still keep yourself updated by visiting the official Sundance Festival web site, where you can read up on all things Sundance. They also have news articles and video clips, which will keep you up all night, making you feel as if you were there yourself.

In case you still don’t get it – Sundance is not for those who are only into mainstream movies. You will not find Dark Knight and the similar movies here but make no mistake, you will be in for excellent viewing experiences.

Contrary to a lot of people’s opinions, there is life outside America. And even when it comes to films, there is a lot of life in existence in other parts of the world. If all you know about are the Oscars and the Golden Globes, then it might be time for you to expand your horizons a little bit. Like, take a look at other awards such as the British Academy Film Awards. The nominations were done on Thursday and here are some of the most notable nominees, courtesy of a report by the Associated Press:

Underdog-turned-favorite “Slumdog Millionaire” picked up 11 nominations Thursday for the British Academy film awards, Britain’s version of the Oscars.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” which stars Brad Pitt as a man who ages backward, also was nominated in 11 categories, including best film, best actor and best director for David Fincher.

Double Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet is competing against herself in the best-actress category, with nominations for both “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road.” She is up against Angelina Jolie for “The Changeling,” Meryl Streep for “Doubt” and Kristin Scott Thomas for the French film “I’ve Loved You So Long.”

The best-actor nominees are Patel of “Slumdog”, Sean Penn for “Milk,” Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler” and Pitt — who also was nominated in the supporting-actor category for the Coen brothers’ spy comedy “Burn After Reading.”

Batman thriller “The Dark Knight” received nine nods, including a best supporting actor nomination for the late Heath Ledger.

Clint Eastwood’s L.A. noir “Changeling” is nominated in eight categories, including best director, while political drama “Frost/Nixon” has six nominations including best actor for Frank Langella and best director for Ron Howard.

In addition to “Slumdog” and “Benjamin Button,” the best-picture contenders are “Frost/Nixon,” inspirational biopic “Milk” and Nazi-themed drama “The Reader.”

In the separate category of best British film, the nominees are “Slumdog,” ABBA musical “Mamma Mia!” hit-man comedy “In Bruges,” Irish hunger-striker drama “Hunger” and tightrope-walking documentary “Man on Wire.”

One thing to note – there are a lot of duplicates from the Golden Globes. But that is to be expected. The BAFTA winners will be announced on February 8 at the Royal Opera House in London. You can also visit the web site for more information.

The Golden Globes is over and now most are looking forward to the Oscars. But for those of you who were not able to watch the show, here is the list of winners, courtesy of the official web site.

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Steven Spielberg

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

Best Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical Or Comedy
Colin Farrell – In Bruges

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Kate Winslet – The Reader

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

Best Animated Feature Film
Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Best Director – Motion Picture
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“The Wrestler” – The Wrestler

That’s not the whole list, by the way. There are more to be found in the Golden Globe web site. You can also see videos and additional information to whet your insatiable appetite for movie information.

Next up…Oscars.

Who doesn’t love Clint Eastwood? Men admire his tough characters. Women gush over his manliness. It is always a win-win situation for this veteran of the movies. With his latest stint in the movies, any doubts as to his versatility and star power are certainly dispelled.

The advertising posters for the move Gran Torino portray the usual scowling face of Clint Eastwood, giving the impression that his Dirty Harry character would be coming alive on screen yet again. However, even Eastwood himself says that the movie is more than the bad boy dirty Harry image he became famous for.

Gran Torino is all about a recently widowed Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski, whose greatest challenge at the moment is to sit back and watch his neighborhood evolve. The issue of race is at the center of this movie as much as the struggle of one person as he recalls his own dark deeds in the past.

And where did the title come from? Eastwood’s character, Kowalski, has this most prized possession of his sitting in his garage – a 1972 Gran Torino.

I have not seen the movie – but I will definitely see it as soon as I can – but judging from the trailer and what other people have been saying, Gran Torino is something worth watching. It is bold, it does not hold anything back. Just try listening for all the racial slurs that you can catch and you will know what I mean. Probably not for those with delicate sensibilities. But that’s Dirty Harry for you.

You all have probably seen The Dark Knight – who hasn’t, right? I just read an article from Popwatch, written by Mike Bruno, which highlights how disappointed the writer was with the movie. Apparently, he only saw the movie over the weekend due to a busy schedule. His main message is this: he thinks that all the hype ruined the movie for him. He writes:

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed The Dark Knight, and I was not disappointed in the slightest by Ledger’s freakish, lip-smacking fiend. But at the same time, I was let down given the movie’s gargantuan box office haul, the almost universal critical praise, and the Oscar buzz surrounding it and its fallen star. I could see Ledger taking Supporting Actor, but while I haven’t yet seen all the other Oscar contenders this year, I would be a bit surprised if The Dark Knight took Best Picture.

Mostly, I think this movie was successful –- as well as hugely popular –- because it featured a character that we couldn’t take our eyes off of played by an actor who recently died way too young. Before it appeared on a single screen this summer, the movie was already larger-than-life because of Ledger’s passing, and six months of the hype machine working at full steam had no doubt set my expectations way too high. So maybe this really is an Oscar-worthy movie and I just need to hire a babysitter more often and catch movies earlier and with less context. But if I’m to be honest, I was disappointed with The Dark Knight and hope for more from this year’s other Best Picture contenders.

I have to agree with him that one reason behind the movie’s success was Heath Ledger’s untimely death. In fact, that was one observation I made right after seeing the movie – The Joker overshadowed Batman. However, I do think that the movie deserves an Oscar. How about you?

Looking for a good “feel bad then feel good” movie? I know that sounds kinda wrong but you know what I mean…movies that are about the hard times in life…at the end of the day, despite the grimness of these movies, you tend to feel a glimmer of hope. This could be due to the fact that you know that somehow, some way, there will be a rainbow at the end of the road. Whatever the reason, I think that this would be a good time to watch one of these movies – and then celebrate your life afterwards.

The Grapes of Wrath
Definitely a good portrayal of how harsh life can be. This movie is actually a documentary cum poem based on John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name. If you have not read the novel (I can’t imagine why not!), the gist of the story is that a farming family from Oklahoma migrates to California to find work. The actors (Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell) are excellent and brings the novel to life. An old movie but very much relevant to today.

Cinderella Man
This movie is more recent and it certainly was a hit when it was released. The story is based on the life story of Jim Braddock, played by Russell Crowe, and how he struggled with the fact that he could not provide for his wife (Renee Zellweger) and children. He gets a chance to do so by fighting in the boxing ring. The movie is a good mix of emotions, sports, and relationships.

The Pursuit of Happyness
If you cannot appreciate this movie, then I don’t know what to do with you! Will Smith did a superb job playing the role of the lead character. Who can forget scenes wherein he and his son were living on the streets?

While we’re at it, why don’t we take a look at “the other” movie that caught the attention of movie goers on its Christmas release? While Jennifer Aniston came up with a comedy that managed to elicit some tears at the same time, her ex-husband Brad Pitt had a movie that belongs to a class of its own.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is actually based – albeit very very loosely – on a short story by Scott Fitzgerald. The whole story revolves around the “curious case” of the main character, Benjamin Button who, instead of growing old, became younger as the years went by. That in itself is a curiosity, don’t you think?

Critics applaud director David Fincher’s hand in the movie; how he was able to create a movie that is “extravagantly ambitious movie that’s easy to admire but a challenge to love.” I have to be honest and say that even the basic idea didn’t – and doesn’t – appeal to me. I simply am not attracted to the idea that someone is aging the other way around (if aging can even be used to describe what happens to Button).

However, I have to admit that Brad Pitt is still as glorious as he was when I first saw him on screen. He is Brad Pitt after all. And that fact has given a lot of plus points to this movie. With Cate Blanchett playing the other major role, the movie is indeed eye candy even for those who might not fall in love with the story. I am not surprised that the movie didn’t earn more than others thought it would on its first day.

Since I started talking about Marley & Me in the previous post, I thought that I might as well review it for this post. After all, the movie outgrossed a Brad Pitt movie on its day of release – there must be something to it, right? If you do not know it yet, the movie is based on the book written by John Grogan, a journalist who wrote about real life “adventures” with his family and dog named – you guessed it – Marley.

Owen Wilson plays John Grogan while Jennifer Aniston plays his wife. The movie starts off with the couple leaving Michigan for Florida, in an attempt to start a family. They are both journalists and work for two different papers – competitors at that.

The story sounds common enough, doesn’t it? What sets the movie apart from all the other releases on the same day?

I think that the “normalcy” of the story is what makes it so appealing to the average movie goer. Plus, you can’t really go wrong with a dog. Marley, after all, comes from the species that we all call “man’s bestfriend.” More than being a “dog story,” however, I really think that the plot, which revolves around family life and its complications, is what makes the movie a good one. It is not extraordinary. The truths set forth by the movie are things that we all encounter in our daily lives. And sometimes, that is what we are after when we watch movies. We want to know that we are not the only ones experiencing these things.

Easy viewing without the fantastic element, that’s what made the movie $14.8M on its first day.

While many would argue that the issue is all about the films in question and not the marital affairs (or lack thereof) of the actors involved, there is no doubt that the two ideas cannot be separated in the case of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. These two had a highly publicized falling out when Brad Pitt wandered and ended up with Angelina Jolie. Jennifer Aniston was recently quoted as saying some not so happy things about the current couple.

At the end of the day, however, movie sales are what we are all about and it seems that Jennifer Aniston came out on top of this matter. The Christmas release of the two movies – Marley & Me and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the former Jen’s while the latter Brad’s – has proven to be an unpredictable race. As it turns out, Marley & Me grossed at $14.8M, around $3M more than Benjamin Button.

Well I would have to say that this is a great Christmas present for the actress, who, despite releasing amicable words about the “competition,” is certainly harboring some secret hope that she could one up her ex this time around. Yeah, I am probably going out on a limb here by writing that but hey, she is human after all and any human being would harbor a desire of that sort, right?

All I can say is congratulations to Jen on the success of her Christmas release! Same to Brad Pitt, I guess.