84th annual Academy Awards: Nominations & Reactions

The Academy Awards this year have taken a liking to "The Artist" by no surprise, as well as lending favor to Scorsese and "Hugo" in a lot of categories. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top this year as only a few of the categories seem to lock in a definite winner at this point in time. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for my predictions of who will be taking home the major awards. 

Best Picture

• "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
• "The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
• "The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• "Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• "Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• "Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• "The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
• "War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers 

I am rather surprised to see "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" make it into the best picture category but then again we all know that the only two that really matter in this category will be the race between "The Artist" and "The Descendants" for the prize.


Actor in a Leading Role

• Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
• George Clooney in "The Descendants"
• Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
• Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
• Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" 

Once again another category that will likely boil down to a race between "The Artist" and "The Descendants" though the overall nominations are rather shoddy and cut out some great leading performances such as Ryan Gosling for either "Drive" or "Ides of March," Micheal Fassbender for "Shame," and Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar."


Actor in a Supporting Role

• Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
• Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
• Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" 

Supporting actor doesn't really bring any surprises. At the Golden Globes it was the only category to recognize "Drive" with a nomination for Albert Brooks who didn't seem to make the cut this time around. Instead we get nominations for Nick Nolte's performance in "Warrior" and Max von Sydow's role in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close."

Actress in a Leading Role

• Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis in "The Help"
• Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
• Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
• Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

After a win at the Golden Globes we all knew it was coming. Meryl Streep manages to muscle her way into the Leading Actress category and push out some other more deserving candidates. It is however nice to see Rooney Mara make the cut representing "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and giving us a brilliantly performed underdog to root for.


Actress in a Supporting Role

• Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer in "The Help" 

 As great as it is to see Melissa McCarthy get some love for her work in a very non-Oscar style film like "Bridesmaids" it also comes with a disappointing twist as her nominations squeezes out the very deserving work of Shailene Woodley for "The Descendants."

Animated Feature Film

• "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
• "Rango" Gore Verbinski 

This is the one category so far where I am extremely pleased with the nominations. The Oscars seem to have much better taste in animated films than the other award shows, and the exclusion of "The Adventures of Tintin" which has been taking various guild awards as well as the Golden Globe will free up the spot for Verbinski's "Rango" to finally get the recognition it deserves.

Directing

• "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Alexander Payne
• "Hugo" Martin Scorsese
• "Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
• "The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick 

Another category that isn't very surprising. Scorsese gets some love for "Hugo" after taking the Golden Globe for directing. Would have loved to see some recognition for Fincher and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" here but it isn't very surprising that it wouldn't make it. 

Music (Original Score)

• "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
• "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
• "Hugo" Howard Shore
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
• "War Horse" John Williams 

This category left me a bit awestricken. Even with a big name like John Williams making a few entries this year the exclusion of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is inexcusable.

Music (Original Song)

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett 

All I can say here is that I am glad the Academy Awards didn't muck up this category with the filth that the Golden Globes brought to it, and of course I am ecstatic to see "The Muppets" will get their inevitable win for "Man or Muppet."

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
• "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan 

The running for both writing categories has been a rather tough one this year with big names like Aaron Sorkin, great films like "The Descendants," and the undeniable frontrunner "Hugo" who is getting plenty of attention from the Academy this year. It will be a hard section to predict a winner in.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
• "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
• "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi 

I understand that you still need a screenplay even in a film with no dialogue but it still irks me every time I see "The Artist" as a nomination in this category. I would still put my money behind Woody Allen and "Midnight in Paris."

The rest of the awards I have very little to say about so I will just leave you with the remaining portion of the list.

Art Direction

• "The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• "Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• "Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• "War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

• "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
• "Hugo" Robert Richardson
• "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
• "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

• "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
• "The Artist" Mark Bridges
• "Hugo" Sandy Powell
• "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
• "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Film Editing

• "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
• "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

• "Bullhead" Belgium
• "Footnote"
• "In Darkness" Poland
• "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
• "A Separation" Iran

Makeup

• "Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• "The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Documentary (Feature)

• "Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• "Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• "Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• "God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• "Incident in New Baghdad"James Spione
• "Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

 Short Film (Animated)

• "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
• "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
• "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
• "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

• "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
• "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• "Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• "Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• "War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• "Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
• "Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

100 Word Review - The Descendants

A heavyhearted monologue about the misperception of paradise, an onslaught of establishing shots of beautiful beaches, tropical landscapes, and sunbathed mountainsides, the interior of a hospital room as a man stands over his comatose wife. Your introduction to The Descendants sets the tone for the whole film as an out-of-touch father struggles to take care of his two daughters while dealing with the fallout from his wife's boating accident. With inspired performances from both seasoned veteran George Clooney and relative newcomer Shailene Woodley director Alexander Payne weaves a heartbreaking story that still manages to create an uplifting and engaging experience.

69th Annual Golden Globe Awards: Nominations & Predictions

With the less serious of the major award shows set to air tonight it is only right that I offer up my predictions for tonight's awards. Since it is the go wild, drunken frat party of award shows I think its only right that I have some fun with my predictions and call out who I'd like to see win, not who will inevitably win everything coughcoughTheArtistcough.

After going through all of the television categories it has occurred to me how few television series I actually watch frequently and keep current with. So besides saying I would love to see David Duchovny take an award for Californication I have no predictions to make in that area. 

Nominee

My Predicted Winner

Actual Winner

 
Best Motion Picture - Drama

• The Descendants
• The Help
• The Ides of March
• Moneyball
• War Horse

To actually predict the winner in this category is a tough task. I will admit I haven't seen War Horse, and have no intent on seeing it in the near future but that wouldn't stop me from swaying toward The Help. 

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture - Drama

• Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis - The Help
• Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Meryl Streep - Iron Lady
• Tilda Swinton - We Need To Talk About Kevin

I have a sneaking suspicion that my choice here may very well be the underdog in this category but I don't mind. I am backing Rooney Mara for best actress in a drama.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture - Drama

• George Clooney - The Descendants
• Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar
• Michael Fassbender - Shame
• Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March
• Brad Pitt - Moneyball

Can I pick Ryan Gosling for Drive? No? Okay then it is a pretty close toss up for me between DiCaprio's portrayal of J. Edgar and Mr. George Clooney. I will sway with Clooney based entirely off his heartbreaking crying scene in The Descendants.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• 50/50
• The Artist
• Bridesmaids
• Midnight In Paris
• My Week With Marilyn

Midnight in Paris will probably get trounced by The Artist but I loved it and it has made its way to being one of my favorite Woody Allen films.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• Jodie Foster - Carnage
• Charlize Theron - Young Adult
• Kristen Wiig - Bridesmaids
• Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
• Kate Winslet - Carnage

I'm not fond of this category so my support is simply going to the craziest nut in the bunch Charlize Theron.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

• Jean Dujardin - The Artist
• Brendan Gleeson - The Guard
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 50/50
• Ryan Gosling - Crazy, Stupid, Love
• Owen Wilson - Midnight In Paris

Once again, had I be given a different Gosling character who lacked a name to put my support behind he'd be sitting pretty but instead I will have to put my vote with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. 

Best Animated Feature Film

• The Adventures of Tintin
• Arthur Christmas
• Cars 2
• Puss In Boots
• Rango

I don't think there is really any competition here. Of the films nominated Rango was the most original and standout offering.

Best Foreign Language Film

• The Flowers of War (China)
• In The Land Of Blood And Honey (United States)
• The Kid With A Bike (Belgium)
• A Separation (Iran)
• The Skin I Live In (Spain)

As I haven't seen any of these yet I will refrain from any guesses.

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture

• Berenice Bejo - The Artist
• Jessica Chastain - The Help
• Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer - The Help
• Shailene Woodley - The Descendants

I am sure this award will end up in the hands of either one of The Help or The Artist but I would love to see Woodley take home the prize for her work in The Descendants.

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture

• Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
• Albert Brooks - Drive
• Jonah Hill - Moneyball
• Viggo Mortensen - A Dangerous Method
• Christopher Plummer - Beginner

Choosing Plummer for this one needs no explanation. 

Best Director - Motion Picture

• Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris
• George Clooney - The Ides of March
• Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
• Alexander Payne - The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese - Hugo

How can you argue against Woody Allen? His neurotic stubbornness will run you ragged until you finally give in and back him anyway.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

• Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
• Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne, Jim Rash - The Descendants
• George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon - The Ides of March
• Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris
• Stan Chervin, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian - Moneyball

This was a tough one because there were so many great screenplays this year. The likely choice will be Moneyball because Aaron Sorkin in a pretty easy bet at the globes. I will put my money behind Allen once again though as I found that I enjoyed the dialogue of Midnight much more than Moneyball. Really the only choice in this category that will bother me to see win though is The Artist.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

• Ludovic Bource - The Artist
• Abel Koreniowski - W.E.
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Howard Shore - Hugo
• John Williams - War Horse

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross win. That is all I have to say about that.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

• "Hello Hello" - Gnomeo & Juliet
• "The Keeper" - Machine Gun Preacher
• "Lay Your Head Down" - Albert Nobbs
• "The Living Proof" - The Help
• "Masterpiece" - W.E.

I refuse to chose any of these based on the lack of songs from The Muppets being nominated.

100 Word Review - The Devil Inside

Through the low-budget faux documentary style film-making ruse employed by horror series like “The Blair Witch Project,” and “Paranormal Activity” “The Devil Inside” tells the story of a young woman who after her father's death is looking for answers as to what happened to her mother. Her mother of course being the criminally insane occupant of an Italian psychiatric hospital run within the Vatican. Though not without its jumpy frights, and bone snapping squeamish moments “The Devil Inside” finds its biggest flaw in maintaining the disturbing ambiance and creepy story you'd expect from an exorcism film.

100 Word Review - Man on a Ledge

With a name this self-explanatory you wouldn't think “Man on a Ledge” would be the complex story that requires a lot of set up, and it doesn't. The film tells the story of a officer who after being framed for the theft of the monarch diamond; has escaped from prison, and is using a suicide attempt to gain an audience and prove his innocence. Part drama, part heist movie, and part fast-paced action “Man on a Ledge” takes a simple story, laced with sub-par performances, and grimace worthy one-liners and weaves it into a flawed but amusing film.

100 Words or Less Top 10 Films of 2011

It is a rather unfortunate thing but I feel as though every time I make one of these year-end movie lists I will always be forced to preface it with a few films that I feel would easily make the list had I seen them. This year that preamble includes the likes of "The Artist," "Hugo 3D," and "The Descendants." All three films are ones that have been highly regarded by many critics and more importantly people I tend to find myself agreeing with when it comes to films. So they are absent from this list, but not for a lack of quality.

#10 "Moneyball" - If the quality performances by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill weren't enough of a reason already the ability for "Moneyball" to take a sport that I find very little interest in and weave a story that didn't require knowledge of or interest in the sport to enjoy is some what of a impressive accomplishment.

Brad Pitt looking to change the game in "Moneyball"

#9 "Bridesmaids" - Many people simply equate "Bridesmaids" to being the feminine answer to raunchy bromance comedies like "The Hangover" but Kristen Wiig, and Paul Feig deserve more recognition than that. The duo manages to create a great comedic atmosphere that is only furthered by an amazing ensemble cast.

One of the best ensemble casts of the year from "Bridesmaids"

#8 "Young Adult" - The dark and neurotic comedy from Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman "Young Adult" uses a dysfunctional cast of characters to create a genuine feeling that is too rarely seen in films.

Charlize Theron getting scoped out by Patton Oswalt in "Young adult"

#7 "Rango" - Gore Verbinski's animated answer to the tall tales of classic westerns. A great story filled with fun characters. The unique styling of "Rango" coupled with its undeniable amount of heart create an animated experience that is hard to top this year.

Our reptilian hero rides in "Rango"

#6 "50/50" - When I first heard about a comedy based on a story in which the main character finds out they have cancer I was a bit skeptical as to how the film would play out. I was pleased to discover that despite its misleading trailers and television spots "50/50" put together a respectable look into a young man's cancer ordeal. An undeniably powerful performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt elevates this film to one of the best of the year in my eyes.

Anna Kendricks counseling Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "50/50"

#5 "J. Edgar" - The kind of film I will walk into with admittedly little knowledge or expectations of made "J. Edgar" a pleasant surprise. Clint Eastwood directs an exquisite cast who help to drive this film into my top 10 of the year. The performances by a lovestruck Armie Hammer, and a torn up Leonardo DiCaprio make for a story that is as unforgettable as it was controversial.

Leonardo DiCaprio having a word with Armie Hammer in "J. Edgar"

#4 "Midnight in Paris" - The latest in Woody Allen's films "Midnight in Paris" is as much a love letter to the roaring 20's as it is a cautionary tale about living for today. The true enjoyment in this film comes from Allen's portrayals of various cultural figureheads of the era who create a humorous and at times spot on depiction of how many of us would imagine them.

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in "Midnight in Paris"

#3 "Beginners" - Oddly enough the second dark comedy involving cancer on my top 10 list. "Beginners" is one of the most honest comedic films I think I have seen in a long time. A heartbreaking story in many different ways "Beginners" finds genuine humor amongst a quirky cast that exhibit some of the best on-screen chemistry of the year.

Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in "Beginners"

#2 "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" - This makes it official, Fincher is now two for two at landing... well second in my top 10 list. This year's offering of his remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was a story that is as uniquely Fincher as you can get. His style of creepy suspense added a level to the film that elevates it above the original. If a brilliant director wasn't enough the spot-on performance of Rooney Mara as the vengeful heroine Lisbeth Salander keeps the film feeling fresh and in my opinion a contender come Academy Award nomination time.

Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

#1 "Drive" - A strange calm stylized film that can go from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. Mesmerized by the performances of Ryan Gosling as the guilt stricken hero, Carey Mulligan as the starry-eyed love interest, or Albert Brooks as a calm and collected force to be reckoned with I couldn't help but be drawn into this film. What stood out most with "Drive" though was its ability to convey emotion and story without feeling the need bloat a scene with dialogue. The quite, often speechless scenes in "Drive" create an almost ominous calm that leave the viewer anticipating. It isn't until the viewer becomes accustomed to this quiet calm that the film decides to throw you through a loop. A plethora of quality performances, and a unique artistic style leave my number one film of 2011 asking "Hey kid, you want a toothpick?"

Ryan Gosling doing what he does best... Driving in "Drive"

100 Word Review - The Adventures of Tintin

Backed by the WETA Digital director Steven Spielberg takes to CGI to resurrect the comic hero Tintin. In a film that merges three stories from the Tintin catalog we find the adventurous young journalist being robbed and kidnapped after purchasing a model ship at the market. Accompanied by his dog Snowy and the drunkard Haddock, Tintin must discover the secrets of his model ship the Unicorn before its too late. Though the story seems to drone on about thirty minutes too long, the vibrant visuals, and adequate balance of action and story create a fun family film anyone can enjoy.

100 Word News – The Hobbit Trailer Release

Its hard to say whether it is simply my inner geek flaring up but with the first trailer for Peter Jackson's highly anticipated prequel to The Lord of the Rings finally hitting the internet I have become embarrassingly giddy. Though the two and a half minute trailer doesn't delve to deeply into the events of the film it does offer an introduction to the band of dwarfs the film revolves around and for the keen eyed watcher who knows the story of The Hobbit you may pick up some quick shots of familiar characters, events, and settings from the book.

100 Word Review - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The time is finally upon us to revel in Hollywood's remake of the wildly successful Swedish film series based on Stieg Larsson's novels. For those unacquainted the film tells the story of a legally troubled journalist who after losing his libel case and stepping down from his magazine is contracted to help solve an forty year old murder case. Between the amazingly sadistic performance from Rooney Mara in the roll of Lisbeth Salander and the brilliant dark mood cultivated through the undeniably talented directorial styling of David Fincher “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” manages to rival the original.

100 Word Review - Like Crazy

First premiered during Sundance 2011, Like Crazy uses its highly improvised style to convey the turmoil of long-distance relationships. During a semester in the states Anna the London native engages into a relationship with her student teacher Jacob. An affair that is soon cut short by the expiration of her student visa the couple must make due maintaining a relationship overseas. With solid performances from both Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, Like Crazy runs the gauntlet of emotions from the almost sickeningly happy and cute, the depressing low points, and mind-numbing indifference creating a romance that feels genuine and unique.