In recent years this almost seems like a ritual: Woody Allen releases films that mainly deal with the cities they happen in. After Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris, this year we get To Rome with Love, which takes place – how incredibly surprising – in Rome.

Indeed, some of the greatest cities in the world have inspired great movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Tokyo: Tokyo Story (1953)
Yasujiro Ozu’s most widely distributed and best-known film presents the story of an elderly couple in post World War II Japan. They come to Tokyo to visit their various children and realize that the family has essentially fallen apart. The estrangement of the big city beautifully reflects the estrangement among the family members.

Las Vegas: Las Vegas (2003-2008)
Resorts, casinos, hotels, restaurants… all of the hedonistic and luxurious things Vegas has to offer appear in this stylized and sexy TV show. It focuses on a team of people working at the fictional Montecito Resort & Casino, dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and restaurant management to casino security.

Paris: Paris, Je T’aime (2006)
A collection of short tales that are just as magical, romantic and unique as the city itself. Each story takes place in a different Parisian quarter, with a different cast and characters. A must see for all of you Francophiles!

Chicago: Chicago (2002)
Dark, yet sparkling and glamorous – yes, I’m talking about Chicago, both the movie and the city (at least in its 1920s version…) The captivating musical deals with two women’s aspirations for fame and glory, even while handling life in prison.

St. Petersburg: Russian Ark (2002)
Russian Ark doesn’t even focus on an entire city, but rather on a very specific part of it: the Hermitage museum and complex of Palaces, in St. Petersburg, Russia. The film captures magnificently the rich past of Tsarist Russia – the wealth, the splendor, the priceless works of art… a fascinating glimpse of a fascinating city.

Baltimore: The Wire (2002-2008)
Each season of this excellent TV series focuses on a different facet of the city of Baltimore. Though it is basically categorized as a crime drama, even the creator of the series claimed that it is “really about the American city, and about how we live together. It’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals.”

Delhi: Monsoon Wedding (2001)
India is a mysterious and magical place in many westerner’s eyes. On the one hand it’s dirty, full of poverty and human misery, while on the other, it is fascinating, exotic and has beautiful ancient architecture. Monsoon Wedding, which takes place in Delhi, reflects that contradiction very well. Shot beautifully, it depicts different classes in India and the contrast between tradition and modernity in Indian society.

London: Sherlock (2010 ongoing)
Contemporary London rarely seems more vibrant and busy than in the current BBC adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock’s fast paced wit and the conclusions he draws in his investigations combines well with the fast pace of the city.

Berlin: Run Lola Run (1998)
Urban, grey and somewhat industrial, Run Lola Run is a great depiction of Berlin in the late 90s. Divided into 3 sections, each one showing a different set of events, the movie deals with Lola, a young woman who has but 20 minutes to locate a missing bag containing 100,000 Deutsche Marks or come up with the money some other way–if she can’t, gangsters are going to kill her boyfriend.

New Orleans: Treme (2010 ongoing)
The series takes place three months after Hurricane Katrina, as the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and ordinary New Orleanians try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane.

Popularity: 1% [?]

For the 65th time, Cannes is opening its doors in 2012 to films from all around the world. The exotic city of Cannes, on the coasts of the French Riviera, becomes the pilgrimage site for filmmakers, stars and artsy-movie fans from across the globe. Last year’s festival opened with Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” (French pride?) and concluded with Terrence Malick’s controversial “Tree of Life” winning the main prize – La Palme d’Or (The Golden Palm).

Who will win this year? Traditionally there are not a lot of details about many of the movies shown in Cannes, as most of them enjoy their debut public screening here. But among all the diversity Cannes has to offer, we can always find the biggest and most intriguing names in the film industry, including highly-acclaimed directors who chose Cannes (and Cannes chose them) to present their oeuvre to the world. While many big names have been dropped, we decided to focus on the upcoming films of ten directors with a lot of promise, who will hopefully deliver as well.

Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson, who has been selected to open this year’s festival, has always been known for his quirky films. Granted, his offbeat humor is a matter of taste, but his films are usually a rare unconventional treat. In Moonrise Kingdom, he directs his usual suspects (Murray, Schwartzman) along with an ensemble of highly-acclaimed actors, and tells a story about boy scouts, runaway kids, a search party and an extremely eccentric family. Quirkiness guaranteed.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin

Benh Zeitlin has created this wonderful fable about a post-New-Orleans-world where myth meets reality, as we follow the quest of a young girl named Hushpuppy. Zeitlin’s previous 25-minute film “Glory at Sea” was a magical tale of a disaster-stricken community; Beasts of the Southern Wild seems to preserve the unique storytelling ability of this original filmmaker, as proven recently when it took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Cosmopolis – David Cronenberg
+
Antiviral – Brandon Cronenberg

Father David Cronenberg upgrades Robert Pattinson into a businessman who travels across a chaotic and socially-decayed Manhattan, while encountering a gallery of characters who would change his views and place in the world. Cronenberg decided to use a limousine as the central spot where these powerful events occur, inside the vehicle and outside it.

Son Brandon Cronenberg tries to follow in his father’s footsteps with his first full-length feature film, which he both wrote and directed. In a world full of celebrity culture admiration (sadly, not much of a fictional future dystopia), people pay to  get infected by celebrities’ sicknesses. Syd March is a mule who smuggles the diseases inside his body, but when he finds out he carries a fatal virus that killed a famous starlet, he must figure out the cause of her death, while evading obsessive fans, before it is too late for him. One can clearly notice the influence Brandon absorbed from across the dining room table.

Amour – Michael Haneke

After winning Cannes’ 2009 Palme d’Or with The White Ribbon, German director Michael Haneke returns with a French-speaking film named plainly Amour (Love). Anne and Georges are an elderly couple in their eighties who have led a long and loving life together. When Anne suffers from a stroke that leaves her half-paralyzed, their love and devotion is put to a harsh test. Haneke tells a touching story about elderly love and the the difficulties faced when the hard and bitter blows of life strike upon us.

Dracula – Dario Argento

The master of Italian horror, Dario Argento, presents his interpretation of Dracula in 3D. Bram Stoker’s famous story about the count from Transylvania is revived  through Argento’s vision, which would promise, as always, to deliver some good scares and shrieks, with a little bit of over-the-top performances, and some alluring scenes starring his daughter, the actress Asia Argento.

Miss Lovely – Ashim Ahluwalia

First-time fiction director Ashim Ahluwalia brings us this drama from India, taking us back to the 1980’s and the more remote and less glamorous sides of Bollywood, where C-grade horror movies were made. The films are sleazy and remain in the margin of the industry, and so are the lives of the people who produce them. This is a story about two film-making brothers and the woman who comes between them (with Bollywoodic touches, naturally).

Killing Them Softly – Andrew Dominik

Initially called Cogan’s Trade, the film follows Jackie Cogan, a professional enforcer who is hired by the mob to investigate a heist that occurred during one of the mafia’s protected Poker games. After their collaboration in the inspiring artistic film “The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, director Andrew Dominik (“Chopper”) teams up with Brad Pitt again, in another tale of a tough and coarse man who faces dilemmas and true-character situations.

Mull im Garten Eden – Fatih Akin

“Garbage in the Garden of Eden” (“Polluting Paradise”) is a documentary from German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, who has always made intriguing films about relations and society. We are introduced to the people of Camburnu, a small Turkish village near the Black Sea, where the quiet idyllic lives of its inhabitants are abruptly interrupted by a governmental order to build a garbage landfill. The villagers struggle against the transition of their pastoral village environment into the new reality of pollution unfolds in this disturbing and thought-provoking documentary.

Reality – Matteo Garrone

After winning the Jury’s Grand Prize with Gomorrah in 2008, Italian director Matteo Garrone returns to the crime scene with his new tale about lives in the south of Italy. A simple fisherman, with natural theatrical qualities, is urged by his surroundings to try and enter into the Italian Big Brother show on TV. Along the way we realize how the quest for fame can change a person, and that not all that shines from the outside is bright inside. A clever media satire from one of Italy’s more outspoken voices.

So in the tradition of the Cannes film festival, let’s hope that 2012 will bring us excellent shows, a good crop of films, some scandals on the red carpet, and of course – some great after-parties (something for the tabloids too…) Happy screening!

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Technorati Tags: Cannes Film Festival, Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris, Terrence Malick, Tree of Life, Palm d’Or, The Golden Palm, Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin, Glory at Sea, Grand Jury Prize, Sundance, Cosmopolis, David Cronenberg, Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg, Robert Pattinson, Syd March, Amour, Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon, Dracula, Dario Argento, Bram Stoker, Asia Argento, Miss Lovely, Ashim Ahluwalia, Bollywood, Killing Them Softly, Andrew Dominik, Jackie Cogan. Mafia, Mob, The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Brad Pitt, Mull im Garten Eden, Fatih Akin, Black Sea, Reality, Matteo Garrone, Gomorrah, Italy

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Oscar nominees were announced yesterday and surprisingly, Hugo leads with 11 nominations, ahead of The Artist with 10. A bit behind are Moneyball and War Horse with 6 nominations each, and The Descendants with 5. Life is never only black and white, so I’ve decided to mention at least one reason why each of the 9 movies nominated for best picture should win, and at least one reason why it shouldn’t. I did list them from worst to best (in my opinion anyway) so I won’t appear completely spineless:

Best Picture – Back to the Past (6 period films)

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Why should it win? Because it’s based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer who is a really great writer. It’s an ambitious and stylized movie that benefits from a fantastic performance by Max Von Sydow.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s extremely kitsch and feels incredibly self-important. It’s an exploitive movie in the sense that it tries to milk the viewer’s tears for a tragic historic event (9/11).

8. The Artist

Why should it win? Because it’s an imaginative, clever and stylized homage to the silent film era; it’s a love letter from director Michel Hazanavicious to cinema in general and to Hollywood in particular (Hollywood will probably repay the love letter with an Oscar in return).

Why shouldn’t it win? If a silent black and white film that was made in the 21st century will win the Oscar it could set a dangerous precedent: Next year we’ll be seeing Moving images that were produced on revolving drums or a movie that will be shown in a Kinetoscope (both inventions that came before the silent film era)…

7. Hugo

Why should it win? Because it’s magical, beautifully shot and naive in a good way. As the cliche goes, this movie is suitable for both children and adults alike. And as a bonus Hugo co-stars Sacha Baron Cohen.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s a bit too long, and a bit too sad considering that kids are its main target audience.

6. The Tree of Life

Why should it win? Because you get to admire the guts Terrence Malick has, creating such a non-communicating movie (long sequences of exploding galaxies and quarreling dinosaurs come to mind). It’s also beautifully shot and directed.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because after you have rejoiced at the sight of people following 10 minutes of solar systems, you realize that you’re in for an uneasy viewing experience: a family with young children who are suffering under the hand of their abusive father.

5. War Horse

Why should it win? Because you just can’t be cynical about this movie, even if you try. It’s moving, nostalgic and even a bit uplifting. It’s kind of strange in the sense that it feels like a family oriented movie despite scenes of soldiers being executed and horses being shot in the head. Seems like Spielberg may have had some sort of an unlikely and impossible combination between E.T and Private Ryan in mind, and somehow it works.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s basically a love story between a young man and a horse.

4. Midnight In Paris

Why should it win? Because after almost giving up on Woody Allen (When You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Whatever Works and Scoop were all bad or mediocre), this movie brought many to believe in him again. It’s witty, clever, nostalgic and magical.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because Woody Allen doesn’t really care about the Oscars, he’s received many of them and one more wouldn’t really make him happy or even happier. He couldn’t care less whether he’ll get the Oscar this year or if Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 will (He didn’t even attend the Golden Globes ceremony).

3. The Help

Why should it win? Because it has a fantastic ensemble cast of female actors, all of them giving excellent performances; and also because it’s an uplifting movie that carries an important message in the spirit of Martin Luther King.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because the only reason the hilarious Bridesmaids wasn’t nominated for best picture is the fact that it had a scene of a woman pooping in the sink. Although no one from the female ensemble cast of The Help poops in the sink, one of them poops in a pie (poop = no Oscar).

2. Moneyball

Why should it win? Because many who don’t know a thing about baseball were still captivated throughout the entire film; Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill both give memorable performances, the dialogue is witty and cynical, the story fascinating and the pacing - perfect.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because Moneyball presents baseball as a game of numbers and not as a game of people; players are being traded as if they were objects.

1. The Descendants

Why should it win? Because it has a very intelligent and mature outlook on death, responsibility and loss; it manages to be emotional and moving and at the same time also very funny. The acting by every single actor in the movie is top notch.

Why shouldn’t it win? Because it’s a heartbreaking movie and our heart is a fragile organ.

Since there are still plenty of important categories, but only limited internet space, I’ll refer briefly to the other notable Oscar nominations:

Best Actor – Friendship on the Line

The two best performances this year belonged to the two buddies – George Clooney and Brad Pitt. While Clooney already won an Oscar (for best supporting actor), Pitt is still Oscar-less. Maybe if Clooney wins he’ll give up his Oscar and give it to Pitt - Oscars arrive every year, but true friends are sure hard to come by.

Should be: Brad Pitt or George Clooney

Will be: George Clooney

Best Actress – The Usual Suspect

When portraying Margaret Thatcher, it feels as though Meryl Streep decided to take on the role she played in Julie and Julia - Julia Child, and make her passionate about politics and leadership instead of cooking and food. And so, in The Iron Lady we have Meryl Streep playing Julia Child playing Margaret Thatcher. Is it an Oscar worthy performance? I think so.

Should be: Meryl Streep

Will be: Meryl Streep

Best Director – Payneful Decision

In The Descendants Alexander Payne constructed a wonderful movie that doesn’t have one unnecessary moment in it. He brought the best out of all the actors in his film, and created a beautiful and most of all humane movie. In The Tree of Life Terrence Malick directed an ultra-stylized, offbeat and ambitious (many would say pretentious) film. I don’t think he deserves the Oscar for it, but since it’s his first movie in six years, the Academy might grant him the reward as an incentive to keep making movies.

Should be: Alexander Payne

Will be: Terrence Malick

Best Original Screenplay – Wiig VS. Woody

Bridesmaids was outrageously snubbed, and wasn’t nominated for best picture or for best actress (Kristen Wiig gave a star making performance there). Winning the Oscar for best original screenplay would be the only just compensation for the horrid injustice. Midnight in Paris is the first brilliant Woody Allen film in years, and can also be regarded as a worthy candidate.

Should be: Bridesmaids or Midnight in Paris

Will be: Midnight in Paris

Best Adapted Screenplay – Alexander the Great (and Aaron Sorkin the greater)

Moneyball’s screenplay was written by one of the best screenwriters alive today – Aaron Sorkin. Just like in The Social Network, Moneyball also totes a witty, cynical and clever script that made me become fascinated about a subject that doesn’t really interest me (Baseball. I’m not really into Facebook either, and was also captivated by The Social Network). The Descendants also has a great script by Alexander Payne, but not as sharp as Moneyball’s.

Should be: Moneyball

Will be: The Descendants

Best Animated Movie – The Chameleon

After we surprisingly found out that The Adventures of Tintin wasn’t nominated, we were left with only one serious candidate in this category. Rango is funny, visually stunning, and witty. It’s great for a family outing, and great for fans of Westerns who can appreciate the many references to the classics of the genre.

Should be: Rango

Will be: Rango

Best Foreign Movie – Israel VS. Iran (Part 1?)

Winner of the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival, Footnote is a psychological and clever movie about an ego clash between a father and his son, a clash between traditional and modern, between two methods of thinking, between two brilliant and eccentric professors. It is overwhelming proof that Israeli cinema has more to offer than just war movies. A Separation, which will probably be the winner in this category, is also a good and powerful drama, but a bit too slow for the average movie goer. Are the Americans going to give the Iranians an Oscar and take out their nuclear program? It’s a give and take I’m willing to accept.

Should be: Footnote

Will be: A Separation

Technorati Tags: Oscars, nominees, Hugo, The Artist, Moneyball, War Horse, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer, Max Von Sydow, silent film, Hollywood, Michel Hazanavicious, Sacha Baron Cohen, The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick, War Horse, Spielberg, Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen, The Help, Bridesmaids, Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, The Iron Lad, Alexander Payne, Kristen Wiig, Aaron Sorkin, Rango, Footnote, A Separation

Popularity: 3% [?]

New Year’s Eve is coming, and before we move on to 2012, we need a closure – a summary of 2011. Because we’re also nearing award season, we decided to combine a summary of 2011 along with our very own unique awards ceremony (without the ceremony, Ricky Gervais demanded too much money for hosting) – The Jinni Mood Awards.

So, which was the roughest movie of 2011? Which was the most exciting?  No need to open any envelopes, you can just read below:

Atmospheric: Hanna –Hanna’s cinematography is the best thing about it. The surreal, dreamlike landscapes are extremely impressive.

Bleak: Tyrannosaur – There are bleak movies and then there is Tyrannosaur that makes The Wrestler and Babel seem like comedies.

Clever: Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen’s return into form film manages to be not only clever, but also fun and funny.

Contemplative: The Guard – Law enforcers who question the meaning of their lives and chase criminals who quote famous philosophers.

Disturbing: We Need To Talk About Kevin – A truly uncomfortable viewing about a deeply disturbed individual (or more simply put, what a shitty, shitty person this Kevin guy is).

Emotional: 50/50 – The somewhat new and improved version of 2009’s Funny People manages to be both funny and cathartic.

Feel Good: New Girl – An upbeat and optimistic series with eccentric characters and a charming Zooey Deschanel.

Gloomy: Melancholia – The name of the movie is by no means misleading. Lars Von Trier’s moody film is about being unhappy and about the apocalypse (that doesn’t contribute much happiness to the already depressed characters).

Humorous: Bridesmaids – The funniest movie of the year was also a sleeper hit and made quite a lot of money in the box office. Kristen Wiig delivered a star making performance.

Offbeat: The Tree of Life – It could have been a simple story about a family with an abusive father if it wasn’t interrupted by long sequences of exploding galaxies and quarreling Dinosaurs.

Rough: Warrior – The tone of the movie is even rougher than its subject matter (MMA fighting). Tom Hardy’s Tommy is the angriest movie character since Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

Sentimental: Super 8 – Steven Spielberg and J.J Abrams ‘ collaboration is the most nostalgic movie of the year. It’s Stand By Me meets Cloverfield meets E.T.

Sexual: Californication season 4 – Season 4 continued being groundbreaking in terms of on screen boobs and sex (I only watch the show for its wit and dark humor though).

Sincere: Terri – An unconventional and thoughtful coming of age story, about an overweight teen outsider who forms an unlikely friendship with the vice principal of his school.

Stylized: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – The satisfying ending to the Harry Potter film series had absolutely amazing visual effects.

Suspenseful: Source Code – A nail biting saving the day story that raises philosophical science fiction questions and even puts some romance in to the mix.

Touching: Win Win – A moving humanist story that’s absolutely impossible to dislike. It manages to perfectly blend comedy and drama.

Witty: Suits – The Dialogue in this TV series is absolutely fantastic – fast paced, witty and funny. The most surprising thing about Suits is that it wasn’t written by Aaron Sorkin.

Scary: American Horror Story – FX’s new Horror series provides numerous amounts of creepy and surprising (surprisingly creepy) moments in every episode. The opening credits are enough to make you scared. You’re actually scared before you even start watching the show.

Sexy: Just Go With It – Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman and Brooklyn Decker all walk around in the beautiful Hawaiian resort, while wearing bathing suits and other revealing outfits.

Exciting: Fast Five – How can a fast paced action movie that takes place in Brazil and features Vin Diesel and The Rock fighting each other be unexciting?

Captivating: Moneyball - Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give brilliant performances, the dialogue is crisp, the story is fascinating and the pacing – perfect. One of the best against (or actually with) the odds sports movies of all time.

Thought Provoking: Rise of the Planet of the Apes – The CGI apes make us think about animal testing and about our human nature (which can be cruel and greedy).

Mind Bending: The Adjustment Bureau – Apparently there is a conspiracy of some kind of beings that are in charge of making sure we do not deviate from our determined course of life (they still havehn’t paid me a visit, so I want to think I’m sort of on the right track).

Tense: Homeland – This paranoid psychological thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to guess what will be the next plot twist.  You can cut the tension with a bomb.

Biting: Black Mirror – A brilliant 3 part Satire that poses a mirror in front of our technology obsessed society, and the reflection as you might have guessed, is black.

Cynical: Life’s Too Short – After The Office and Extras, Life’s Too Short is the third hilarious mockumentary series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant who this time take a step back and give the center stage to Warwick Davis.

Uplifting: The Help – This inspiring period piece helps you gain belief in the human spirit. Emma Stone is exceptional as a young woman who stands out from the herd of her racist friends.

Bittersweet: The Beaver – Jodie Foster’s movie must have been a very good one, because it made me forgive Mel Gibson (well, only for the duration of the movie).

After the Golden Globes nominations were announced last week, we can only hope that the people in charge will take Jinni’s picks in the (much more prestigious) Mood Awards into consideration before making their final decisions. Here’s what we suggest:

Best Drama - Moneyball, Best Comedy/Musical - Bridesmaids, Best Dramatic Actor - Brad Pitt, Best Dramatic Actress - Tilda Swinton, Best Comic Actor - Brendan Gleeson, Best Comic Actress - Kristen Wiig, Best Director - Woody Allen, Best Screenplay –  Moneyball .

Best Dramatic TV Series - Homeland, Best Comic TV Series - New Girl, Best Dramatic Actor in a TV Series - Bryan Cranston and Best Dramatic Actress in a TV Series - Claire Danes.

Technorati Tags: Movies of 2011, Top movies of 2011, movie awards, Hanna, Tyrannosaur, Midnight in Paris, The Guard, We Need to talk about Kevin, New Girl, Melancholia, Bridesmaids, The Tree of Life, Super 8, californication, Terri, Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows Part 2, Source Code, win win, suits, American Horror Story, Just Go with it, fast five, moneyball, rise of the planet of the apes, the adjustment bureau, homeland, black mirror, life’s too short, the help, the beaver

Popularity: 2% [?]

This Thanksgiving we are grateful for our wonderful families, for the food on our tables, and for god not destroying us. But since this blog is about movies and TV shows, here are 10 things from the big screen that we are thankful for:

10. Thanks for the comeback of Woody Allen

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris will be known as one of Woody Allen’s best films of all time, and definitely his best in recent years. I was starting to think that I would never see another great film by Woody Allen after Annie Hall.  I disliked “When You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger“, “Whatever Works“, “Casandra’s Dream” and “Scoop” and just before I lost all hope regarding Allen, came the wonderfully nostalgic and witty “Midnight in Paris”. The parts with Dali and Bunuel were absolutely hilarious and were true highlights in this excellent movie that is full of magical and feel good moments.

9. Thanks for Slick Lawyers

The Lincoln Lawyer and Suits

The Lincoln Lawyer manages to be an exceptionally good thriller without offering any surprising plot twists or special effects. It even does something that not many movies managed to do – it makes Matthew McConaughey’s character seem likable.
Suits is USA Network’s legal show, and it has a lot to offer: wittier dialogues than the ones in The Social Network; verbal byplay that wouldn’t shame Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs.; and more hair gel than the entire cast of characters from Wall Street and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps put together.

8. Thanks for British Conspiracy Thrillers

The Shadow Line and Hidden

Some say The Shadow Line is overly theatrical and impossible to follow; others say it’s a masterpiece. I’d go with the latter. It has haunting theme music, an unforgettable role played by Stephen Rea, a storyline as complex as The Wire, and a super stylized and tense overall feel.
Philip Glenister, who is known most of all for his portrayal of Gene Hunt in the TV series Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, stars in Hidden as Harry, a lawyer haunted by his criminal past. It’s a well-paced and stylized thriller that manages to keep you on the edge of your seat with many mysterious and dark characters and more than a few plot twists.

7. Thanks for Boxing Melodramas

Warrior

It’s not easy for a guy to admit he likes straight up emotional melodramas (like The Notebook for example.) But when the emotional melodrama is wrapped inside a rough and manly boxing movie you can admit you love it and not feel ashamed. Warrior offers an emotional family melodrama brought to the viewer via a kick to the ribs.

6. Thanks for critics and for the fact we should completely ignore whatever they’re saying about comedies

Just Go With It and The Change-Up

I’m always interested in what critics have to say about movies, I always read reviews before I decide whether or not to go see a movie. Usually I’ll agree with the critics’ consensus about a movie, but not when we are dealing with comedies. Critics know nothing about comedies. Adam Sandler’s movies almost never get positive reviews, but somehow they are always successful. Hilarious comedies that use silly and gross-out humor always tend to receive extremely poor reviews (Bridesmaids and The Hangover secluded). So, in conclusion, Just Go With it and The Change-Up are both excellent comedies and critics lack a sense of humor.

5. Thanks for Mind Bending Sci-Fi

Source Code and The Adjustment Bureau

These two movies came out the same month, and both share quite a lot in common: They deal with themes of destiny, foreknowledge and danger. They are mind bending, suspenseful and stylized and both star a young man and a young woman who are trying to change the past or the future. We hope next year we’ll also have months with two acclaimed, mind bending Sci-Fi movies as good as these ones.

4. Thanks for Darren Boyd Comedies

Spy and Holy Flying Circus

In the BBC TV movie Holy Flying Circus, Boyd is remarkable as John Cleese. The movie revolves around the controversy created by Monty Python’s Life of Brian. It’s very clever and surreal and it just might be the closest thing to Monty Python’s Flying Circus in years.
In SKY’s comedy Spy, Darren Boyd is working in a store as a computer salesman when finds himself coincidentally turned into an MI-5 spy. Besides dealing with the sudden career change, he also has to deal with his son – the most obnoxious little kid ever to be seen on any type of screen.

3. Thanks for Crossover hits that tell human stories in a fantasy world -(Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation)

Game of Thrones

Adam Scott from the brilliant Parks and Recreation described it best: “Game of Thrones tells human stories in a fantasy world”, Game of Thrones does all that while using the usual HBO trademarks of female nudity and bursts of violence. Peter Dinklage shines as Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf who’s got the most game in Game of Thrones.

2. Thanks for the rise of the female humor

Bridesmaids, New Girl and Suborgatory

The amount of laughs I got in Bridesmaids = the amount of laughs I got in (The Hangover + The Hangover 2) x4. The leading actress - Kristen Wiig, who also wrote the script, deserves an Oscar (or at least a Nobel Prize) for her part. Funniest female role in the history of cinema! Later in 2011 came 2 new TV series that also contributed to the rise of the funny women: New Girl about the funny and eccentric Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, and the satire about the hell of living in the suburbs as experienced by a teenage girl (Jane Levy) – Suburgatory.

1. Thanks for Breaking Bad Season 4

Breaking Bad

The first three seasons of Breaking Bad positioned it as one of the best TV series in recent years. Season 4 brought it near to a status of a modern classic and a masterpiece. The conflict between Walt and Gus brought out the very best out of both of them. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll just say that the 4th season had some scenes that will definitely stay with the show’s viewers for a very long time. After such a great season, the wait for season 5 becomes torturous. We trust the show’s writers will produce a last season that will enter next year’s list of things we need to be thankful for.

Technorati Tags: thanksgiving, woody allen, midnight in paris, the lincoln lawyer, suits, lawyer shows, british conspiracy thriller, the shadow line, hidden, warrior, boxing melodrama, critics being wrong, just go with it, the change up, source code, the adjustment bureau, darren boyd, spy, holy flying circus, game of thrones, female comedians, bridesmaids, new girl, suborgatory, breaking bad season 4

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