Showbits

Dear faithful readers: Hiphopguy23 has finally finished watching all the movies he wanted to see that were released in 2007. Therefore, Hiphopguy23 would like to issue some updates to his 2007 Best Movie Awards.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Sadly, nothing has changed. There weren't any stand-out supporting actresses so Hiphopguy23 is going to give the award to Cheryl Hines in Waitress. Waitress is a very well acted movie and the award could just have easily been given to the late Adrienne Shelley, but Cheryl Hines was just a wee bit more memorable.

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The King of Kong. This one isn't even close. This is an absolutely astounding documentary, with heroes and villians for you to root for. Never mind the claims that the documentarians "fudged" with the truth. Watch this movie for the entertainment factor. Also, you do not need to be a fan of video games at all to appreciate this movie.

WORST MOVIE: Across the Universe. Yikes, was this movie a disaster. Hiphopguy23 figured, "The Beatles are enjoyable. How could a movie featuring their songs go wrong?" It turns out that you need to be a tremendous fan of the Beatles to even remotely enjoy this movie. The filmmakers picked the most unpopular B-side "hits" to fill out the soundtrack, and there are constant references to obscure lyrics and callbacks to the horrid Beatles movies, none of which Hiphopguy23 has seen. All of this occurs in the most unstructured free-flowing mess of a "plot". Not even a special appearance by Bono could save this train wreck. Hiphopguy23 is curious to hear if any die-hard Beatlemaniac enjoyed this movie, because that seems to be the only audience.

BEST DIRECTOR: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix). Finally, a Harry Potter movie that works! Yates abandoned the "feel-good" vibe of the first two movies and wisely disregarded the "trendy teenager" motif of the third movie. The fourth movie was also too colorful and upbeat for this stage in Harry's life. Yates picks a dark, sinister direction that is very real and very true to life. This movie plays less like a crowd-pleaser and more as a twisted look into the good (and bad) that takes place at Hogwart's. This is the first Harry Potter movie that is better — yes, better — than the corresponding novel.

None of the other awards have changed, so in conclusion, Hiphopguy23 will give his top five recommendations:

1. 300
   
2. Enchanted
   
3. Juno
   
4. Waitress
   
5. The King of Kong
   

HONORABLE MENTION: Balls of Fury — but only if you prefer your comedy very slapstick.

When I first heard of the film Juno, it was only in the context of it having had a stronger opening weekend than Aliens vs. Predator. A closer look revealed a familiar cast: Jason Bateman and Michael Cera, who so effectively played father-and-son on the abortive television series Arrested Development.

Though these two actors justify seeing Juno, it is the plot and titular character that warrant its box office success. In concept, Juno is very similar to the 2004 film Saved!: a teenage girl with an unplanned pregnancy must live with her decision to have the baby. But the differences between the two films are both subtle and powerful. Saved! is set in a private Catholic school, where perception and judgment are almost physical in their reality and impact. Can a woman who has sex out of wedlock be considered a good person? Is such an act justifiable — not only to her peers, but to herself? Who are her true friends: those who guided her along the path of Christianity, or those who accept her when she strays?

Both Saved! and Juno deal with relationships, but Juno occurs in a more accepting environment. Juno's predicament is almost entirely accepted by her peers and guardians, leaving her to deal with the people it brings her closer to: her parents, the child's adoptive parents, and the child's father. Looking through the classifieds, Juno finds Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, an apparently perfect couple unable to have their own children. But the arrival of not only a child, but also its mother, into this couple's life brings to surface issues all three didn't realize were beneath the surface — while Michael Cera, the father of Juno's child, is left on the sidelines, confused by what his role should be to either his offspring or its mother. (As you may know from Arrested Development, "confused" is an emotion Cera plays well.)

Juno is a clever comedy, due primarily to the witty repartee of Ellen Page (X-Men 3) as Juno. She has a casual way of speaking her mind, using unpredictably creative metaphors, making others uncomfortable. Juno handles herself with surprising maturity and decisiveness — but when confronted with the unexpected, the scared 16-year-old peeks out. Her relationships are complex, one that made me fidget in my seat even more than Blue Car did. Juno's fetus is the impetus, not the focus, of the whirlwind of emotions that are bewildering to so many.

Page and Cera as parents-to-be, Garner and Bateman as parents-who-can't, and JK Simmons (Spider-Man) and Allison Janney (The West Wing) as Juno's parents-who-are each turn in lively and nuanced performances, making Juno a film unquestionably better than Aliens vs. Predator. How's that for a recommendation?