The Giver

ReaL Movie Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes-30%
My Score- 5/10
*Rated PG-13*

Based on the 1993 novel, of the same name, by Lois Lowery, The Giver entails a story of a dystopian future where emotion, pain, conflict, and suffering, are wiped clean of humanity and have resolved in a seemingly perfect society. That is until a young boy named Jonas (Brenton Thawites) is chosen as the new " Receiver of Memory" , a job in which information is passed down from The Giver, (Jeff Bridges). This complex honor allows Jonas to feel and see all of the worlds past time, as well as experience emotions that have been hidden from him. If its hard to understand the gist of the movie, you are not alone. With as slow as the film moves you would think that there would be plenty of detail thrown toward you that you would completely understand the scenes that are happening. Wrong! Within the first 20 minutes of the movie you are left in your broken seat with popcorn scattered about asking your self "What the heck is going on?" The film does eventually pick up and the story becomes more clear as we learn more about the characters and the world they live in. The acting is done precisely well with big names stars such as, Meryl Streep, Katie Homes, Taylor Swift, as well as up and coming actors Odeya Rush and Cameron Monaghan. Director, Philip Noyce (Rabbit Proof Fence, Salt), added a sort of detail to this film that we haven't really seen before. Much of the movie is shown to the audience in black & white with small details shown in color. The film is full of surprises and will keep your entertained throughout the hour and a half run time. If you are sitting at home bored out of your mind and have some extra cash on you then seeing The Giver wouldn't be a bad idea. However I would invest my money in seeing something else, perhaps Guardians Of The Galaxy or renting something similar like Divergent.

American Hustle

ReaL Movie Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes- 94%
My Score- 9/10
*Rated R*

Set in the 70's this dramatic comedy tells the some-what true story of two in love con artists, Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), who get trapped by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who offers them a way out of their crimes if they help him bust 4 other cons. Soon the whole deal gets out of hand when they get entangled in a world full of corrupt Politicians (one of which is played by Jeremy Renner) and Mobsters. Also weaved into the story line is Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Bale's unpredictable wife In the film). Her performance steals the show leaving you gasping for more. The film plays a little slow but is sped up with unexpected laughs waiting at every corner. Acting as a sort of third part in the David O. Russell (Director) box set, this film reunites Adams, Bale, and Renner from The Fighter and Lawrence, Cooper, and De Niro, as well as Shea Whigam and Paul Herman from last years Silver Linings Playbook. Both movies led to many award nominations and wins as well as a Best Actress Oscar for Jennifer Lawrence. With its powerful yet light script, mesmerizing performances, and outstanding direction, you can expect this years "American Hustle" to sweep award shows and possibly end up with some Academy Awards.

-ReaL Movie Reviews

Hannah Lynn Meadows-

Oscar Predictions

ReaL Movie Reviews
Academy Awards (Oscar)


With award season in full gear and the Oscar nods in place, the race to take home the most star-studded prize in film is on! Sweeping the categories with 12 Nominations, Lincoln is front runner along with Life of Pi with 11 and both Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook coming in with 8. Predictions have been forming around the winners from The Golden Globes, SAG Awards, BAFTA, and as well as Critics Choice. With this all leading up to the Academy Awards which air live Oscar Sunday February 24 7e|4p on ABC. 

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
-Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)
-Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)*
-Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)
-Denzel Washington (Flight)
-Joaquin Pheonix (The Master)

My Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis
Lewis has been cleaning up award season with his electrifying turn as the iconic Abraham Lincoln. A film with a historic background that is gaining lots of popularity throughout the academy.With previous Oscar history this proves even better for Lewis who is a major favorite in this category.

Who I think should win: Bradley Cooper
Cooper was absolutely mesmerizing in his role as bi-polar delusional, Pat Peoples. With many emotion changes from crying, to laughing, to serious, Cooper grasps it all in his best performance to date. The fact that Cooper was so incredible and is being over looked by Daniel Day-Lewis is just heartbreaking.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
-Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
-Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
-Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)*
-Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
-Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)


My Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence, with 2 Oscar nominations at age 22, is the hottest new talent  Hollywood has seen in awhile. In this years Silver Linings Playbook, Lawrence plays a over emotional widow trying to get her life back on track. Alongside Cooper, Lawrence plays a wise character well beyond her years and happens to captivate it all in her magnetic performance. With other predictions putting  Jessica Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva close behind, this category is wide open to surprises.

Who I think should win: Jennifer Lawrence
There is no other nominee who's performance is as magnifying as Lawrence's. The way she takes over the screen is well deserving of many Oscars. You will be seeing a lot of Lawrence hitting the red carpets as her golden career keeps unfolding.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
-Alan Arkin (Argo)
-Robet De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)
-Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)*
-Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)
-Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

My Prediction: Robert De Niro
The competition in this category is very stiff and is likely any one of them could walk away a winner. The fact the De Niro is playing a role we haven't seen him play in awhile is a somewhat of a comeback.  As the acting legend he is, the academy might feel its time for him to win again in his moving performance as a gambling, OCD, football obsessed dad trying to help his son(Cooper) through a difficult time in Silver Linings Playbook.

Who I think should win: Christoph Waltz
A bounty hunting, gun-slinging,  funny man doctor, Waltz absolutely knocks this role out of the ball park, nailing every scene he's in. Without his witty charming performance in Django Unchained, this movie would be nothing. Whether it be Waltz or De Niro that wins ill be happy either way.

Best Supporting Actress:
-Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
-Sally Field (Lincoln)
-Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
-Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)*
-Amy Adams (The Master)

My Prediction: Anne Hathaway
There's really no question about it. The only one who could possibly sneak up behind her and win is  Sally Field but Anne is way more deserving as Fantine, in the musical turned movie hit Les Miserables.

Who I think should win: Anne Hathaway
As much as I would like to see Jacki Weaver win for her role, there is no taking away from Anne Hathaway who has been sweeping award shows.

Best Director:
-Steven Spielburg (Lincoln)
-Michael Haneke (Amour)
-David O. Russel (Silver Linings Playbook)
-Ang Lee (Life of Pi)*
-Ben Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

My Prediction: Ang Lee
Its hard enough to direct let alone directing something that's not even real or even coaching actors to fight a tiger that's all CG work. Lee should and will win for his technical master mind in an incredible movie Life of Pi.

Who I think should win: David O. Russel and or Ang Lee
Both did fantastic jobs directing amazing movie. Russel for grasping comedy,mental health, and drama in to one serious, fun, entertaining movie with his messed up, realistic characters. Lee for just being a technical genius.


Best Picture: 
-Argo*
-Life of Pi
-Lincoln
-Amour
-Silver Linings Playbook
-Beasts of the Southern Wild
-Zero Dark Thirty
-Django Unchained
-Les Miserables

My Prediction: Argo
Argo is a great movie and based off the previous wins, this is the one to beat.

Who I think should win: Silver Linings Playbook and or Django Unchained
These were just simply the best movies of the year.

Congratulations to all who took part in these wonderful films and to those who got nominated and who won. (Winners are marked with *)


-ReaL Movie Reviews
Hannah Lynn Meadows-

Silver Linings Playbook

ReaL Movie Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes- 92%

My Score- 9/10

*Rated R*

Receiving a lot of Oscar buzz since it first appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival, back in September, Silver Linings walked away with the highest award, and has ever since been a huge hit among film critics. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro with Chris Tucker, Jacki Weaver and Julia Stiles. Set in Philadelphia with Pat Solitano (Cooper) who has recently lost everything including his job, house, and cheating wife, who placed a restraining order on him, is forced to move in with his gambling, OCD, football obsessed Dad (DeNiro). He soon meets mysterious, Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence) who is recovering from her husbands death through sex, lies, and depression. Hoping to get their lives back on track, they make a promise to help each other, and with this silver linings start to form. This far from ideal family should score many Oscar nominations and wins for Lawrence, Cooper, DeNiro and possibly Best Picture and Best Director for David O. Russel. The offbeat romantic comedy delivers incredible performances and is a wacky fun love story that will keep you entertained and hooked as one of the best movies this year. This hilarious, overwhelming heartfelt movie is a must see and will not disappoint. The cast is reason enough to go see it!

-ReaL Movie Reviews
Hannah Lynn Meadows-

The Dark Knight Rises

ReaL Movie Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes- 86%

My Score- 3/10
*Rated PG-13*

The Dark Knight Rises is bringing lots of people to the theaters and shining in the spotlight. If you ask me all those people are wasting their time and money. Set as a Sequel with a new terrorist leader Bane (Tom Hardy) trying to take over the city of Gotham, the once known Batman (Christian Bale) rises to protect a city who thinks of him as an enemy. Along with Hardy and Bale is Anne Hathaway who plays Selina, a sexy theif and is the only reason this movie got a 3 and not a 0. Anne Hathaway did quite an impressive job, but as for the rest of the cast, not so much. Now why did i give this movie such a low review when it is getting such high praise? Well to start with, the movie was quite slow and boring! The dialoge in the movie was very hard to understand both by Batman(Bale) and Bane(Hardy) who disguised their voices. This movie made Batman look weak and and not at all like a hero. If you do decide to see this movie, do not walk in with high expectations,  because it's definitely not worth seeing.

-ReaL Movie Reviews
Hannah Lynn Meadows-

The Amazing Spider-Man

ReaL Movie Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes- 74%  
My Score- 8/10
*Rated PG-13*

The Amazing Spider-Man entered theaters July 3 and has been a huge success at the American Box Office. So was it as good as it seems? With a new Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, the story takes a new path and twist! When Peter's parents leave him at a young age to stay with his Aunt and Uncle, he takes it upon him self to find out what happened to his parents. He winds up finding Dr. Curtis Connors (Ryhs Ifans), who will soon become an enemy. Also in the mix of this, is of course, the romance involving Peter Parker(Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). The movie is filled with  laughs and yet still manages to have the iconic story and action. For example, the photography portrayed in the original Spider Man films are mixed into the story quite nicely as well as the relationship with Peter and his Uncle Ben(Martin Sheen). As for the Spider Bite, be prepared for a very interesting time. The graphics are very well put together, both in 3D (recommend) and non 3D with the director (Marc Webb) choosing some very interesting camera shots! The twist on Spider Man was for the better and is an overall good film. Definitely a must see movie!  
(P.S. make sure and stay for the extra clip after the credits)

-ReaL Movie Reviews
Hannah Lynn Meadows-