starring

CHRIS MATHIEU   MATTHEW C HARTMAN   KAREN LANGE

Our video:

Last night was the “Best of DC” screening for the 2011 48 Hour Film Project and Partners in Crime took home Best Actress for Jennifer Flack as “Susan” and Best Screenplay. When you add the Audience Award from our screening group that’s THREE awards! THREE! One more than two, two more than one!

Watch our triple Award-winning effort below.

Presenting Partners In Crime, our entry in the 2011 Washington, DC 48 Hour Film Project!

For those of you unfamiliar with the 48 Hour Film Project, here’s how it goes: on Friday, April 29 we were given a genre, a line of dialogue, and a character and had to return 48 hours later with a short film (over 2 minutes and under 7).
GENRE: Romance
LINE: “I’m taking it one day at a time.”
CHARACTER: Riley Tompkins, teacher

This is Unknown Penguin’s 4th 48 Hour Film Project. There were over 100 entries and for the first time we won the Audience Award for our screening group! The Best Of DC screening in May 26 at the AFI Silver Theatre. We’ll update you with screening info as soon as we have it.

Brandon debuts his kinder, gentler term for abortion.

starring Mike Gregorek & Chris Mathieu
written and directed by Patrick Flynn
produced by Austin Bragg - Jeff Crocker - Eddie Quintana - Matt Arevalo

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I did win my Oscar pool this year but not handily. It came down to Best Picture and when The King’s Speech beat The Social Network, I beat Collin Brazie. So . . . there that is.

The ceremony was pretty much okay. Anne Hathaway was a good hostess in my opinion but James Franco just looked damn tired. Hathaway’s solo musical number wasn’t a great idea in my opinion and Kirk Douglas stole the show. He’s this year’s Betty White.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
I SAID: The King’s Speech
DID WIN: The King’s Speech

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
I SAID: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
DID WIN: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
I SAID: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
DID WIN: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
I SAID: Christian Bale, The Fighter
DID WIN: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
I SAID: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
DID WIN: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Achievement in Directing
I SAID: David Fincher, The Social Network
DID WIN: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Even though Hooper won the DGA Award and Best Picture & Director rarely split, I went with Fincher because he won the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, the Critic’s Choice Award, the Nation Board of Review Award, and The Social Network was a more “directed” film. But Hooper deserved it more.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
I SAID: The King’s Speech, David Seidler
DID WIN: The King’s Speech, David Seidler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
I SAID: The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
DID WIN: The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
I SAID: Toy Story 3
DID WIN: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
I SAID: Biutiful (Mexico)
DID WIN: In A Better World (Denmark)
It won at the Globes, I should’ve had this one.

Best Achievement in Cinematography
I SAID: Inception, Wally Pfister
DID WIN: Inception, Wally Pfister
I’m lucky I didn’t know that Roger Deakins (the greatest living DP) hasn’t yet won an Oscar. Otherwise, I would’ve picked True Grit.

Best Achievement in Editing
I SAID: The Social Network, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
DID WIN: The Social Network, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Best Achievement in Art Direction
I SAID: The King’s Speech
DID WIN: Alice In Wonderland
Most sets beat best sets.

Best Achievement in Costume Design
I SAID: The King’s Speech
DID WIN: Alice In Wonderland
Most costumes beat best costumes.

Best Achievement in Makeup
I SAID: The Wolfman
DID WIN: The Wolfman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
I SAID: The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
DID WIN: The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
I SAID: 127 Hours, “If I Rise”: A R Rahman, Rollo Armstrong, Dido
DID WIN: Toy Story 3, “We Belong Together”: Randy Newman
Since Randy already won for Monsters, Inc. and the 127 Hours song won at the Golden Globes, I went that way.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
I SAID: The King’s Speech
DID WIN: Inception
My friend Eddie Quintana said he picks the loudest film in this category. And he was right. Sound Mixing is the sound recorded during production, Sound Editing is during post-production. So I assumed that The King’s Speech had more during production sound than Inception. A lot more dialogue too. Didn’t matter.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
I SAID: Inception
DID WIN: Inception

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
I SAID: Inception
DID WIN: Inception

Best Documentary, Features
I SAID: Exit Through The Gift Shop
DID WIN: Inside Job
Inside Job had won more awards this year but xit Through The Gift Shop was a bigger hit. And where was Waiting For “Superman”?

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
I SAID: The Warriors of Qiugang
DID WIN: Strangers No More
I went with the one about Chinese labor organizers over the kids from different worlds holding hands.

Best Short Film, Animated
I SAID: Day & Night
DID WIN: The Lost Thing
I went with the Pixar short and I’d do it again.

Best Short Film, Live Action
I SAID: God Of Love
DID WIN: God Of Love
Delaware!

I have a multiplex across the street from my house. Last year I saw 28 movies in the theatres. This past year I saw 11. What changed? This guy moved into my house. He’s very needy. Anyway, despite this recent baggage, I managed to see my share of releases and (somehow) managed to form an opinion on each and every one of them.

‘Twas a year for movies. Not too too many to get excited about but there were 10 I particularly enjoyed:

Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky) A ballet dancer (Natalie Portman) wins the lead in Swan Lake and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odette’s evil sister, Odile, the Black Swan. Aronofsky mmoves into Hitchcock territory with this psychological thriller. Portman dances (see what I did there?) the line between infantile dancer and full-tilt, repressed insanity. I am an Aronofsky fan (I even liked The Fountain) but I think this is objectively a great film in the tradition of Vertigo and Gaslight.

Inception (Christopher Nolan) In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief (Leonardo diCaprio) is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date. Christopher Nolan makes movies about two things: obsession and the human mind. His latest film takes both those things and makes a cootie-catcher out of them. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a stunning ensemble though a visually stunning world of dreams executed . . . well, stunningly. The less you know about the plot the better but this movie is great.

The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper) The story of King George VI of Britain (Colin Firth), his impromptu ascension to the throne, and the speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it. As someone once said: people’s biggest fear is public speaking. Meaning if you’re at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. This is a film about fear. Fear of daddy, fear of responsibility, fear of war. And how, with the help of others we can overcome that fear. Brilliant acting, a nice & tidy script, and understated direction make this a great film. Firth is a shoe-in for the statue (especially since he probably should’ve won last year for A Single Man).

127 Hours (Danny Boyle) The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco) who becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive. I did not want to see this movie. Actively did not want to see it. I was sure it would be another Into The Wild. That is to say: a pretentious pile that glorifies as prophet an idiot to goofed around with nature and got his ass handed to him. This not that film. I should’ve known better when I saw Danny Boyle’s name at the helm but I had to see for myself. This film glorifies neither Ralston nor his lifestyle. It’s an action film in which the hero cannot move. How cool is that? The amputation scene is gruesome but you should see it anyway. Just great stuff.

RED (Robert Schwentke) When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reassembles his old team (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, & Helen Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants. Fun, funny, just the right amount of sad, & whole lotta shooting people. Sound good? It is. Is it really one of the ten best films of the year? My Master’s Degree says: “No.” But the rest of me says one should have a little damn fun in your life. Plush Malkovich unhinged, like you’ve always wanted.

The Social Network (David Fincher) A chronicle of the founding of Facebook, the social-networking Web site. Aaron Sorkin hates the Internet. If you’ve seen the two episodes of The West Wing that deal with the Internet, you know this. Moreover, he has very little respect for those who live in the Internet. But he does know tragedy, and that is what he’s written. Sorkin is tricky to direct, his dialogue can lead to directors to over-direct (see The American President). But David Fincher injects a lot of energy into a film which is mostly people whining rhythmically. Historical inaccuracies aside, this is a fascinating and (at times) tense film. More a thriller than biopic. Nicely done.

The Town (Ben Affleck) As he plans his next job, a longtime thief (Affleck) tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down. One of the more overlooked films of the year (and certainly the most overlooked at the Oscars), The Town is Ben Affleck the director coming into his own. The movie flows with an ease usually reserved for more consummate professionals. Gone Baby Gone was good, this movie is great. Renner is the showpiece here, certainly. But the whole ensemble is top-notch. I eagerly await Affleck’s next directorial turn.

Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich) The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it’s up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren’t abandoned and to return home. The Toy Story movies are the only film trilogy where each film is better than the one before it. The third installment takes you to places you never imagined you could go emotionally. And it does so with animated toys. It’s a sobber. I’ve seen it three times. It’s the best film of the year. Period.

True Grit (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen) A tough U.S. Marshal (Jeff Bridges) and a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) help a stubborn young woman (Hailee Steinfeld) track down her father’s murderer (Josh Brolin). Of all the Coen Bros’ work, this is the least “Coen Bros”-y in terms of subject matter and mood. A straight genre picture, and a remake at that. But the characters are all Coens. Meaning they are gloriously round and flawed. A story of Old Testament vengeance and anti-heroes. A joy to watch, especially when photographed by Roger Deakins. [FUN FACT: If Jeff Bridges wins on Sunday (which he won't) it will be the first time two actors (he and John Wayne) have won Best Actor Oscars for the same role in different films.]

Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik) An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl (Jennifer Lawrence) hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact. The name of the game here is simplicity. It has all the hallmarks of a trashy indy film: hand-held, “natural” lighting, poor people, drugs, violence, sombre modd, cutaways of animals in the background, scenes that meander at the beginning, no exposition, etc. But the beauty is the simplicity. This is a girl who has to find her father or loose her family. Plain and simple. She doesn’t hem or haw, she doesn’t judge, she dives in with both feet and does what she has to. It’s like True Grit without Rooster Cogburn. She’s alone and she’s not backing down. Great film.

I also did manage to see the other two Best Picture Nominees:

The Fighter (David O Russell) A look at the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his brother (Christian Bale) who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s. I really liked this film a lot. The acting was very good and the pacing is nice. My objections are two-fold: (1) the penultimate fight is much more exciting than the climatic one & (2) this is really Christian Bale’s character’s film. He is the one who undergoes a transition, he affects change, he grows (as the film’s bookends show). Bale will and should win his Oscar but the script could’ve used another pass.

The Kids Are Alright (Lisa Cholodenko) Two children conceived by artificial insemination bring their birth father into their family life. Gonna say it: I did not care for this film at all. The kids were alright at the beginning, they were alright at the end, and they were alright in the middle. Aside for some marital problems which bore no suspense at all, this is a film in which very little happens. Cute idea and I never really cared.

“But who’s going to win at the Oscars?” I can hear you scream to the heavens! Well hushabye, little ones. Daddy is here.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
WILL WIN: The King’s Speech
SHOULD WIN: Toy Story 3
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: The Town

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
WILL WIN: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
SHOULD WIN: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
WILL WIN: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
SHOULD WIN: Natalie Portman, Black Swan (even though I did think Jennifer Lawrence was brilliant in Winter’s Bone)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role [tightest category this year]
WILL WIN: Christian Bale, The Fighter
SHOULD WIN: Christian Bale, The Fighter
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: Matt Damon, True Grit; Joseph Gordon Levitt, Inception; John Malkovich, RED

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
WILL WIN: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
SHOULD WIN: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit [she's in this category because if they producers had put her name up for Lead Actress she never would've been nominated. It is the lead role of the film however.]
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: Mila Kunis, Black Swan [a travesty she's not nominated]

Best Achievement in Directing
WILL WIN: David Fincher, The Social Network
SHOULD WIN: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: Christopher Nolan, Inception; Ben Affleck, The Town

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
WILL WIN: The King’s Speech, David Seidler
SHOULD WIN: The King’s Speech, David Seidler

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
WILL WIN: The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
SHOULD WIN: Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt and John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: RED, Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
WILL WIN: Toy Story 3
SHOULD WIN: Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
WILL WIN: Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu (Mexico)

Best Achievement in Cinematography
WILL WIN: Inception, Wally Pfister
SHOULD WIN: Black Swan, Matthew Libatique

Best Achievement in Editing
WILL WIN: The Social Network, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
SHOULD WIN: 127 Hours, Jon Harris

Best Achievement in Art Direction
WILL WIN: The King’s Speech
SHOULD WIN: True Grit

Best Achievement in Costume Design
WILL WIN: The King’s Speech
SHOULD WIN: True Grit
SHOULD’VE BEEN NOMINATED: Black Swan

Best Achievement in Makeup
WILL WIN: The Wolfman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
WILL WIN: The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
WILL WIN: 127 Hours, “If I Rise”: A R Rahman, Rollo Armstrong, Dido

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
WILL WIN: The King’s Speech

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
WILL WIN: Inception

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
WILL WIN: Inception

Best Documentary, Features
WILL WIN: Exit Through The Gift Shop

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
WILL WIN: The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Short Film, Animated
WILL WIN: Day & Night

Best Short Film, Live Action
WILL WIN: God of Love

Quick video this week, it’s my DIRECTOR’S REEL!!! YEAH!!!

(Hey, I worked hard.)

Think you can name the highest grossing movies in U.S. history by letter of the alphabet?

Then go HERE.

Sucker.