"The Shallows" Review (***½)

Blake Lively stars in "The Shallows."

This may just be me, but when I first set eyes on the trailer for “The Shallows” I scoffed a good scoff; it seemed like an on-the-nose title for what would surely be a shallow shark-trope jump-scare film, made bearable only by a beautiful locale.

I was very wrong—so thrilled to be wrong.

“The Shallows” is an impressive departure from the fairly baseline arena of the action/horror genre that director Jaume Collet-Serra has thus far resided in. I went in expecting the shark-equivalent of a slasher, where I’d likely want the chick to die mid-way through and be done with it. Instead what I had the pleasure of imbibing was a bonafide triumph story. One of those involuntary reflex fist-in-the-air stories, where you feel genuinely engaged in the struggle and cheer for the victories. Yeah!

"The Martian" Review (****)

Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney in "The Martian."

“The Martian” is an emotional, ruthlessly realistic space-travel survival story that never once overwhelms you with the scope of it, with the concept of interstellar isolation, or with hopelessness. Instead, it magnifies the magnificence of everything within its frame. Ridley Scott is practiced and controlled and patient with the grandeur of space, and “The Martian” is arguably his loosest and most playful project to date. And with Drew Goddard adapting Andy Weir’s bestselling novel for the screen, this film can’t be anything but good… and it is. Honestly, it is. “The Martian” never maroons you within the darkest pits of Mars, never speaks in platitudes about the smallness of humanity, never reduces itself to cliché. It’s a champion of exploration, of adventure, and of knowledge and innovation. I doubt there’s much contention in me saying that “The Martian” will be the blockbuster film of 2015.

Our Oscar predictions, 2014

By the time the big night rolls around, it always seems like Oscar season has taken an extra long time to wrap up. This year is no different, although the schedule has shifted a bit this year due to the Winter Olympics. Nonetheless, it's hard to mind a long deliberation time when the quality of content you are considering is this high.

This year in film has given us so much quality to celebrate, and literally several of the nominees would be worthy 'Best Pictures' in any given year, despite how it may seem if you are championing a singular selection. Personally, I can't imagine anything besting "Gravity"—a film that contributes more to the art and craft of cinema than any other title in recent years. However, it would be silly of me to discount "12 Years a Slave," "American Hustle" or "Her" as perfectly acceptable titles in the Oscar cannon, should they be bestowed the honor. They are all much better than "Argo," after all.

All three of us—Cameron, Christo and Lucy—have given you our personal picks, be they 'will win' predictions or 'should win'/'want to win'/'should be here instead' favorites. We've abstained from the Documentary and Animated Short categories, as none of us have seen any of these nominees.

[Edit] RESULTS: Christo wins! Though our final picks might have changed by the time the telecast started, the results from our picks below are:

• Cameron: 17 correct, 4 incorrect, 1 abstain
• Christo: 19 correct, 2 incorrect, 1 abstain
• Lucy: 16 correct, 5 incorrect, 1 abstain

Christo's Best Films of 2013

10

“Frances Ha”

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Reminiscent of some of Woody Allen’s early work, "Frances Ha" is a charming and endlessly surprising little film with amusing dialogue and one fantastic lead performance. Greta Gerwig, star and co-writer, is perfect in the role of Frances, an impulsive 20-something struggling to find her place in a world where rent isn’t cheap and all of her friends seem to have everything together. Directed by Noah Baumbach and shot in crisp black and white, “Frances Ha” is playful, smart and potent.

The Best Films of 2013

Sure, we are already into February now. But with years like 2013, it's never too late to celebrate such high quality cinema. Perhaps the best year since 2007 ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," "Atonement," "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "I'm Not There," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "There Will Be Blood," "La Vie en Rose"), 2013 showcases strength across the board—in foreign and American films, in documentaries and narratives, in dramas and comedies—and perhaps most of all—in films that blurred the lines.

This past year's films showcased stories and craftsmanship as complex as the filmmakers themselves. From auteur-driven work like "American Hustle," "Gravity," "Her" and "Upstream Color" to a tremendous showing for American indies like "Hank and Asha," "Hide Your Smiling Faces" and "Short Term 12"—this list is probably the toughest I've ever put together. 

Several of these films played our local film festivals. "7 Boxes," "euphonia," "The Exquisite Corpse Project," and "Mud" all played at the Atlanta Film Festival. "Hank and Asha" and "The Past" both screened at the Savannah Film Festival. "Lore" was easily my favorite film from the 2013 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. "Hide Your Smiling Faces" and "Short Term 12" were just two films from a remarkable lineup at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham last year. Some films featured at multiple festivals—"Congratulations!" played both Atlanta and Sidewalk and will screen at the Macon Film Festival later this month, "Muscle Shoals" screened at Sidewalk and will also play in Macon. "The Spectacular Now" played both Atlanta and Savannah.

"Her" wins Best Picture from the Georgia Film Critics Association

"Gravity," "12 Years a Slave" and the Spike Jonze love story each won three awards; "American Hustle" recognized for Best Ensemble.

Joaquin Phoenix stars in "Her," winner of the 2013 Georgia Film Critics
Award for Best Picture.

The Georgia Film Critics Association has wrapped up their third year by announcing the winners for their 2013 awards. "12 Years a Slave" led the nominations with ten mentions earlier this week, but it was "Her" that won the top prize. Spike Jonze wasn't even nominated for Best Director, but did win an award for Best Original Screenplay, as did Arcade Fire for the film's score. "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" also won three awards each. Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for "Gravity" and the film also snagged Best Cinematography and Production Design awards. "12 Years a Slave" won three acting awards—Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Fassbender and Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong'o—but lost Best Ensemble to "American Hustle."

The Best Ensemble award marks the only win for "American Hustle," after earning seven nominations. Also with seven nods, "Inside Llewyn Davis" only took home one—Best Original Song. Despite its use of sampling disqualifying the track from Academy Award consideration, the GFCA obviously sees no problem with the song. "Short Term 12" won for Best Adapted Screenplay and star Brie Larson won the Breakthrough Award—although credit is not directly given to any of her films in particular.

Other winners include Cate Blanchett as Best Actress in "Blue Jasmine," "No" as Best Foreign Film, "Stories We Tell" as Best Documentary and "Frozen" as Best Animated Feature. "The Spectacular Now" was honored with the Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema, a special recognition for the year's best feature or short film produced in Georgia.

Check out the full list of winners after the jump.

Georgia Film Critics announce nominees for 2013 awards

"12 Years a Slave" leads in nominations, but indie films "Upstream Color," "Short Term 12" and "The Spectacular Now" make a splash.

Though they may be one of the later regional critics groups to release their year-end lists, the Georgia Film Critics Association always manages to give a tip-of-the-hat to the unexpected. Now wrapping up it's third awards season, the GFCA's ten members have put together a list of films that mixes the expected Oscar heavy-hitters with some of the year's most celebrated independent releases.

"12 Years a Slave" leads the way with ten nominations, followed by "American Hustle" and "Inside Llewyn Davis" each with seven nods. The tide then turns a little bit, with "Upstream Color" joining "Gravity" and "The Wolf of Wall Street" with six nominations each. Festival darling "Short Term 12" follows with five mentions. "Her," "Mud" and "The Spectacular Now" round out the remaining Best Picture nominees.

A few highlights include Amy Seimetz ("Upstream Color") in both Best Actress and Breakthrough categories, John Goodman ("Inside Llewyn Davis") and Sally Hawkins ("Blue Jasmine") in supporting shortlists and singular screenplay nominations for "Frances Ha" and "Prince Avalanche." Emmanuel Lubezki wound up with two nominations in Best Cinematography ("Gravity," "To the Wonder"), while Hans Zimmer pulled the same feat in Best Score ("Man of Steel," "12 Years a Slave"). Going back to "Upstream Color," Shane Carruth might be the real winner here, seeing as he served as the film's director, producer, writer, lead actor, editor and composer—personally earning credit for most of the film's nominations.

Plenty of these films featured on the 2013 Georgia film festival circuit. "Mud" and "The Spectacular Now" played at the Atlanta Film Festival, while "Nebraska," "The Past," "Philomena," "The Sacrament" and "The Spectacular Now" all screened at the Savannah Film Festival. "Lore" played at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and "Muscle Shoals" will screen in February at the 2014 Macon Film Festival.

The Breakthrough Award shortlist features actresses Sophie Kennedy Clark ("Philomena"), Brie Larson ("Don Jon," "Short Term 12," "The Spectacular Now"), Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave"); actors Tye Sheridan ("Joe," "Mud") and Miles Teller ("The Spectacular Now," "21 & Over"); and actress-director-producer-writer-editor Amy Seimetz ("Lucky Them," "9 Full Moons," "Pit Stop," "The Sacrament," "Sun Don't Shine," "Upstream Color").

Winners will be announced Friday, January 10th. Check out the full list of nominees after the jump.

Pinewood Atlanta to Transform Georgia Film Industry

Pinewood Atlanta Studios as of October 2013.
Photo: Pinewood Atlanta Studios

In April 2013, The Pinewood Group announced plans to break ground on a brand new film, television, and music studio in Fayetteville, just fifteen miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The Pinewood Group, which manages film studios worldwide, is responsible for the James Bond franchise and numerous blockbusters; most notable recent titles include “Pacific Rim,” “World War Z,” “Captain Phillips,” and “Gravity.” Fayetteville’s location will be Pinewood’s first in the United States.

A campus this influential promises huge strides for the Georgia film industry, and Pinewood seems as excited about their arrival as we are. Pinewood Group’s CEO, Ivan Dunleavy:

“[April 26th’s] agreement is another step forward for the Pinewood brand internationally. This new studio will target US productions. Georgia has excellent fiscal incentives and a great crew base. With River’s Rock we have a well-resourced partner that is committed to building a first class studio facility.”