TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

If James Franco's Alien from "Spring Breakers" had Leonardo DiCaprio's Gatsby's millions and Christian Bale's foul mouth from "American Hustle"...they still wouldn't come close to the living extremity of a man that is Jordan Belfort. The cocaine-devouring, hooker-purchasing, finance exploiting stockbroker with a rags-to-riches past is the latest examination of Martin Scorsese in this explicit, bonkers 80's-set epic. Like the aforementioned Gatsby, DiCaprio shows us with his third consecutive thrilling performance (also as a conniving slave owner in "Django Unchained") why he's one of Hollywood's greatest, currently or otherwise. "WOWS" begins, as movies typically do, with a number of stockbrokers hurling a helmet-clad dwarf against a large target bathed in money signs, and here's the thing: it sets the tone for the next three hours. That's right: 180 minutes. It is single-handedly the movie's vital ...

Sugar and spice may run through "Saving Mr. Banks'" veins, but certainly not everyone in it is nice. Emma Thompson plays "Mary Poppins" author P.L. Travers with a Sheldon Cooper type of emotional unawareness, except she's much thornier and frostier to everyone: including the head of the Mouse himself, Walt Disney. Disney's played by soon-to-be "Captain Phillips" Oscar nominee Tom Hanks, who, with the help of the mustache, does nail that late Disney founder's appearance, but you can't help but realize it is  Hanks playing Disney instead of just ol' Uncle Walt in the flesh. Does he nail his voice/cadences? The jury's still out for me, as I always distanced myself from Walt Disney the man as a younger child; he was sort of the wizard of Oz of all my favorite childhood animated films. The story is Disney was hounding Travers for the rights to her beloved novel, with the preface of keeping a promise to his daughters to adapt the ...

The Golden Globe, SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards have all gone nuts over a little David O. Russell picture called "American Hustle." Exceppt for Jeremy Renner, there isn't a cast member among those Big 3 that hasn't been up for something, probably taking into account that Renner's character, Carmine Polito, is the most upright/righteous among this stellar cast of rather deceptive con folk. So here's my job, to deliver to you good people: is "American Hustle" worth the hype, and the rivalry status it has against "12 Years a Slave" for the Best Picture race this January? In a word, no. "American Hustle" is the more entertaining of the two, obviously, but it's nowhere near as accessible as director David O. Russell's proceeding, realistically charming romantic dramedy "Silver Linings Playbook." Its setting is the polyester, toupee, plunging neckline world of the 1970s. If "Hustle" and Russell did o...

My Golden Globe predictions were off. I'm the first to admit it. I got three right in the drama category, and ONE right for comedy/musical! How was I supposed to know "Wolf of Wall Street" and "American Hustle" were going to be considered comedies? Technically though, I did get all of the animated nominees right, since the Globes surprised me by just nominating three. The one I claimed to be the front runner, "The Wind Rises," was put into the foreign film category instead, "Monsters U" was downright snubbed! I think it's "Frozen's" prize to lose. Here's my reaction to the rest of the list, which can be found right hurr .   DRAMA: I'll admit the Globes didn't do half bad this year. They really didn't. I could see all 10 of their best picture category films getting Oscar nods. But why oh why did they leave out THREE of the year's best films from all categories?!? That's right, no "Fruitvale S...

Looking back on my 2012 predictions....I really didn't do too shabby! I'm taking my predictions now, the snowed-in Tuesday before the nominations announcement this Thursday, where last year I got all but three right more than a month before the announcements. Hurray for being increasingly less reliable and accurate! This really is one of the hardest awards shows to call....for comedy. There are literally 25 movies that could be eligible to be put into the five slots and I wouldn't be surprised at all. This Oscar race is riDICULOUS. So don't expect too many accurate picks in comedy...or even the overstuffed drama category. My money's actually only with animated film... Bale needs a Globe for this picture alone in "Hustle" BEST DRAMA: 12 Years a Slave (all right, this and the next movie will indeed be easy to predict. But the other three are literally interchangeable as the hours pass)  Gravity Captain Phillips (you can always bank on a Hanks movie...

One of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences I've sat through is last year's gripping thriller "Compliance." Without spoiling the film, I found myself yelling at my computer screen a number of times in protest to the character's actions. "12 Years a Slave" makes "Compliance" seem like a trip to Disney World. It's going to take me a long time to recuperate after seeing this unflinchingly brutal work of art, and likely years before I even consider giving myself the thought of a second viewing. It opens with the soon to be nationally revered Chiwetel Ejiofor and a handful of other slaves in a cane field, being instructed by an unnamed master. Why not include one of the many whipping scenes as a shocking opener to this picture? Director Steve McQueen wants to put you in the shoes (or lack thereof) of a slave, being instructed to do menial work in the blazing southern heat with the impending crack of a whip alongside your back in the fore...