Time for my annual Oscars predictions. It's pretty tough this year - there are so many different films nominated in all the different categories and many did not get released in Australia until the last few weeks. I've driven my partner pretty crazy trying to cram in Oscar nominated films in the last few weeks but even then we haven't been able to see them all. So some of these are just guesses based on what the consensus view seems to be.
Best Picture
Nominees: The Big Short, Room, Brooklyn, The Revenant, Spotlight, Bridge of Spies, The Martian.
I've seen all of these except Bridge of Spies. All are very good and my personal favourite is the Martian, but that's too commercial (and released too long ago) to win. For me this is between The Revenant and Spotlight. The Revenant has so much momentum but I am going out on a limb (it's scary out here) and picking Spotlight to win as it is the more traditional type of film that Oscar loves.
Best Actor
Nominees: Leonardo diCaprio, Bryan Cranston, Eddie Redmayne, Matt Damon, Michael Fassbender.
What a difficult category to really and truly compare. How do you even begin to compare Leo's raw, brutal and almost wordless struggle for survival and revenge to the delicate, emotional and brave portrayal of one of the world's first transgender people by last year's winner Eddie Redmayne? Matt Damon's survival story in the Martian is even different than Leo's. Fassbender has to make a popular figure real and flawed while still underlining the genius.
I haven't seen most of these performances due to late release dates on 3 of the films. However there is no denying the roll that Leo is on and I'd be a fool not to pick him. A shame for Eddie, whose performance is likely to be even better than the one he won for last year, but won't win.
Best Actress
Nominees: Brie Larson, Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Charlotte Rampling, Jennifer Lawrence
Brie Larson is as strong a favourite here as Julianne Moore was last year, but that's because her performance is just so amazing. She has been wowing us in small and under the radar things for a few years now, but this raw and touching portrayal of a young mother is excellent deserves to win. I haven't seen the others except for Saoirse who is fantastic in Brooklyn, but Brie is the clear favourite and I'm backing her.
Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Tom Hardy, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance, Sylvester Stallone, Christian Bale
Probably the year when the supporting actor category has been fairly week on standout performances. I watched Creed the other day to see why Sylvester Stallone won the Golden Globe and is the favourite and I don't really see what the fuss is about. I think it's just the fact that we love this character of Rocky Balboa and it gets more poignant the older and frailer he gets. Someone described it as "moving and funny" but I did not see anything funny about it so it seems to be getting blown out of proportion with distance (it is not the freshest release in the roster). Mark Ruffalo was pretty good in Spotlight but both he and Christian Bale struggle to really stand out in a large ensemble cast with no particular character focus. Tom Hardy is great if a little mumbly in The Revenant and I'm surprised he isn't a bigger favourite given the momentum of that film right now. By all reports, Rylance probably would have had this if not for Sylvester. I'm going for Stallone as the sentimental winner but it's not my favourite performance.
Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Kate Winslet
I've only seen 2 out of the 5 performances here and they are the ones least likely to win. Rachel and Jennifer also struggle to really stand out in a strong ensemble cast performance. That leaves Kate, Rooney and Alicia. The only thing I can do here is go with the consensus and guess Alica to win for the Danish Girl.
Best Director
Nominees: Tom McCarthy, Adam McKay, Alejandro Inarritu, Lenny Abrahamson, George Miller
I so want George Miller to win this for the gobsmacking action thrills and long road to completion of his vision for Mad Max: Fury Road. Plus also there should be a bit of the "it's time" feeling for him going on. But I fear it is going to be Alejandro Inarritu taking home the statue for The Revenant, for the second year in a row after Birdman last year. But on second thought, Inarritu's vision for The Revenant was pretty uncompromising and risky and also deserves to be rewarded. It looked a bit crazy at first and couldn't be more different than Birdman, but once you saw it, it totally worked. This is a really strong field of contenders and in another year, any of these could have won. Special mention to Abrahamson for his obviously great directing skills to draw such a naturalistic performance from a small boy in Room. Excited to see what he does next. But I'm naming Alejandro Inarritu as the winner here.
Best Cinematography: Has to be The Revenant for this one. Beautifully shot using only natural light, it's an amazing achievement.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Very hard to call. I would have said Room as the best here, but I think the cleverness of the way the complex financial terms were explained for the layman viewer in The Big Short has it as the runaway favourite. As a financial person, I thought the film was a bit clumsy and the tricks unnecessary but I am still going to guess it as the winner.
Best Original Screenplay: Another varied and difficult to call category. Spotlight is a cracking story but fairly traditional in structure. Straight Outta Compton had to cram a lot into the running time and just managed but could take the win due to the perceived lack of diversity in the awards overall. Inside Out would probably win for taking a complex idea and making it accessible, if not for being an animated film. Ex Machina was intriguing, thought provoking and unexpected but seems very low on champions. Bridge of Spies I haven't seen. I'm going with the sentimental favourite of Spotlight here.
Technical Awards: I'm going to guess that Mad Max will clean up the categories of Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Film Editing. Best Visual Effects will probably go to Star Wars: the Force Awakens. Best Costume Design is a tricky choice and I'm going to pick Cinderella for this category.
Let's hope that I do better in my predictions than I did last year. Let's also hope that Chris Rock can make it an entertaining and fun night without too much controversy. As for the 'diversity' issue, my belief is that the overall Hollywood system needs to have a look at itself rather than the Awards themselves. You can't choose non-White nominees and winners when there aren't any non-White people acting in major roles in well regarded, major drama motion pictures that tend to be Oscar bait. I'm sorry but Straight Outta Compton isn't as great as some people are making it out to be and it seems that Concussion (Will Smith's movie) isn't either although possibly his performance was good enough to get nominated (I haven't seen it but have heard good reports about him). A recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver had a very good 'skit' on why Hollywood whitewashing is the problem e.g. getting Caucasians to play Asian characters since the dawn of time. Selma, 12 Years a Slave and The Help are examples of recent films centring on black issues which were nominated for various Oscars and were worthy contenders, so I think pointing the finger at the Academy is not really illuminating the true issue. I'm not a fan of tokenism or quotas so I think that the entire Hollywood system needs to have a good hard look at itself and a very good start would be using actors who are the same race as the character they are playing. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.
Showing posts with label The Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Oscars. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Oscars 2015 predictions
After my success last year, I thought I'd take another shot at predicting who is going to walk away with those little, but heavy, golden statues on Monday (Australian time).
The main categories this year are littered with biopics or serious films based on true events. The Oscars have always leaned toward awarding dramas and biopics with little consideration given to comedies and action films, which can still feature great performances and entertain us but for some reason are not considered 'worthy' of the big awards. Comedies can take out Best Screenplay awards without being nominated for Best Picture, Actress or Actor. While in the early years of the Oscars we see a few comedy films that have won, the chance of a comedy film winning anything else seems to be dwindling away to nothing. Many films touted as comedy films that have won awards are really just dramas with some black humour added (looking at you American Beauty, As Good as it Gets et al). Bridesmaids was the only recent notable exception in nominations for out and out comedies. Action and fantasy films usually scoop the technical awards but hardly get a look in elsewhere - a fun exception being when Lord of the Rings: Return of the King memorably won Best Picture as well as 10 other awards in the presentations for films of 2003. However, this year could not be further from awarding any light films (Grand Budapest Hotel being a surprising and pleasing exception), so it has been a heavy month of trying to watch all the Oscars contenders for me.
My tip for the winner of each category is highlighted in blue in each list.
Best Film
Nominees: American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything, Selma, Birdman, The Imitation Game, Whiplash
There has been much talk that this year's crop of Best Picture nominees are some of the lowest grossing films of the year - meaning that not many people went to see them. However, that is usually the case due to the aforementioned bias against comedy, action and fantasy films.
I think this one is a 3 horse race between Boyhood, Birdman and The Imitation Game. Grand Budapest Hotel is ruled out because it's a comedy. Whiplash is just too niche. The Theory of Everything was nice but lacked bite. Selma was oh so worthy but ultimately it's a bit dull (afflicted with the same problem I had with Lincoln - wordy speeches that nobody would ever say). American Sniper is too political (even though the movie actually isn't that political) and the 'fake baby controversy' won't help it. I loved The Imitation Game, it's been the film I've enjoyed the most out of this category. I don't know why it isn't a more serious contender but it just doesn't seem to have the sentiment. Maybe just too British.
My money is on Boyhood. Birdman has had rave reviews and was daring in its construction, but is Hollywood going to vote for a movie that makes fun of Hollywood? No, I don't think so. Boyhood has a unique structure, strong performances and a great screenplay. I think it will just get there.
Best Actress:
Nominees: Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Reese Witherspoon (Wild), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
I haven't seen Marion Cotillard (sorry girl, I love you but the film was in cinemas in Brisbane for about 2 days in total so it was too hard) but have seen all the others. Felicity Jones was nice as Steven Hawking's wife, but the script never gave us a chance to understand why she was so strong and cheerful through such difficulty, which would have probably given her a better chance to win. Rosamund Pike should probably win for her extraordinary portrayal of a psychopath, but this one is between Reese and Julianne. Julianne has the form in all previous award shows and the subject matter of an intelligent woman going through early onset Alzheimers is award bait. I would prefer Reese to win for her totally raw and uncompromising performance as a lost young woman walking her way back to life, but I think Julianne has this one in the bag. It will be seen as 'her time'.
Best Actor
Nominees: Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Michael Keaton (Birdman)
These are 5 very good performances in very similar roles. Virtually all of these characters are men of very few words, most are socially awkward or outcasts and all are struggling against something trying to stop them achieving their goals. All but Michael Keaton were playing a real person, and some would argue that Michael Keaton was really just playing a version of Michael Keaton. All were fascinating to watch in their roles as they used facial expression and body language only to express what these men could not say. However, the award will definitely go to Eddie Redmayne, who takes it to the limit of physical contortion to play Professor Stephen Hawking over a roughly 30 year timeframe as his body wastes from Motor Neurone disease. He convincingly portrays Hawking as both an intelligent, funny charmer and a bit of a rogue, being especially trying to his wife at times.
Best Supporting Actress
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Laura Dern (Wild), Emma Stone (Birdman), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
This is one year Meryl Streep is not going to win - as good as she is in general (I haven't seen the film) it is not the usual type of role to be nominated for in this category. Apart from that it is another strong field. Laura Dern's role is probably just too brief. I'm not a Keira Knightly fan usually but thought she was a great peppy shot in the arm for the otherwise too blokey Imitation Game. Emma Stone is raw and sassy as the ex-junkie daughter in Birdman but again I think it was a little brief. Patricia Arquette is exquisite in Boyhood though, taking you on a roller coaster ride of mothering through a series of bad choices of men while trying to make a living for her family and have a career. Her final words in Boyhood have stayed with me for a long time afterwards. So poignant.
Best Supporting Actor
JK Simmons (Whiplash), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman), Robert Duvall (The Judge), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
I've missed two performances in this category this year, including JK Simmons. So I'm going with the weight of sentiment in choosing this winner rather than making my own assessment. Kinda sad for the other guys though - Mark Ruffalo could have had this any other year, and Edward Norton is hilarious in Birdman.
Best Director
Alejandro G Inarritu (Birdman), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
Tough one to call. There are two groundbreaking technical achievements in this pack, two directors who drew excellent performances and built great tension in moody historical dramas, and one who continues to further his wacky vision and obsession with centring shots (search for Wes Anderson - Centred on Vimeo and watch this awesome video). Since I didn't really like Birdman as a film, I'm going with Richard Linklater for his amazing vision to film a movie over a 12 year period with strong continuity, great screenplay and involvement from his actors.
And the rest of the categories I dare to attempt:
Best Cinematography - hands down this will go to Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman. How on earth they achieved these continuous long takes we may never know!
Best Animated Film - I've seen none of them but feel it will be How to Train your Dragon 2 based on what I've read and heard about it.
Best Original Screenplay - I'm going with the out-of-the-box choice here of The Grand Budapest Hotel for the snappy dialogue.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Extremely difficult to call as any could win. I'm going to go with Whiplash.
Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel has to have this one.
Visual Effects - It will be a crime if X-Men: Days of Future Past doesn't win this for the Quiksilver scene alone. Go Aussie!
Let's see how I go!
The main categories this year are littered with biopics or serious films based on true events. The Oscars have always leaned toward awarding dramas and biopics with little consideration given to comedies and action films, which can still feature great performances and entertain us but for some reason are not considered 'worthy' of the big awards. Comedies can take out Best Screenplay awards without being nominated for Best Picture, Actress or Actor. While in the early years of the Oscars we see a few comedy films that have won, the chance of a comedy film winning anything else seems to be dwindling away to nothing. Many films touted as comedy films that have won awards are really just dramas with some black humour added (looking at you American Beauty, As Good as it Gets et al). Bridesmaids was the only recent notable exception in nominations for out and out comedies. Action and fantasy films usually scoop the technical awards but hardly get a look in elsewhere - a fun exception being when Lord of the Rings: Return of the King memorably won Best Picture as well as 10 other awards in the presentations for films of 2003. However, this year could not be further from awarding any light films (Grand Budapest Hotel being a surprising and pleasing exception), so it has been a heavy month of trying to watch all the Oscars contenders for me.
My tip for the winner of each category is highlighted in blue in each list.
Best Film
Nominees: American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything, Selma, Birdman, The Imitation Game, Whiplash
There has been much talk that this year's crop of Best Picture nominees are some of the lowest grossing films of the year - meaning that not many people went to see them. However, that is usually the case due to the aforementioned bias against comedy, action and fantasy films.
I think this one is a 3 horse race between Boyhood, Birdman and The Imitation Game. Grand Budapest Hotel is ruled out because it's a comedy. Whiplash is just too niche. The Theory of Everything was nice but lacked bite. Selma was oh so worthy but ultimately it's a bit dull (afflicted with the same problem I had with Lincoln - wordy speeches that nobody would ever say). American Sniper is too political (even though the movie actually isn't that political) and the 'fake baby controversy' won't help it. I loved The Imitation Game, it's been the film I've enjoyed the most out of this category. I don't know why it isn't a more serious contender but it just doesn't seem to have the sentiment. Maybe just too British.
My money is on Boyhood. Birdman has had rave reviews and was daring in its construction, but is Hollywood going to vote for a movie that makes fun of Hollywood? No, I don't think so. Boyhood has a unique structure, strong performances and a great screenplay. I think it will just get there.
Best Actress:
Nominees: Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Reese Witherspoon (Wild), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
I haven't seen Marion Cotillard (sorry girl, I love you but the film was in cinemas in Brisbane for about 2 days in total so it was too hard) but have seen all the others. Felicity Jones was nice as Steven Hawking's wife, but the script never gave us a chance to understand why she was so strong and cheerful through such difficulty, which would have probably given her a better chance to win. Rosamund Pike should probably win for her extraordinary portrayal of a psychopath, but this one is between Reese and Julianne. Julianne has the form in all previous award shows and the subject matter of an intelligent woman going through early onset Alzheimers is award bait. I would prefer Reese to win for her totally raw and uncompromising performance as a lost young woman walking her way back to life, but I think Julianne has this one in the bag. It will be seen as 'her time'.
Best Actor
Nominees: Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Michael Keaton (Birdman)
These are 5 very good performances in very similar roles. Virtually all of these characters are men of very few words, most are socially awkward or outcasts and all are struggling against something trying to stop them achieving their goals. All but Michael Keaton were playing a real person, and some would argue that Michael Keaton was really just playing a version of Michael Keaton. All were fascinating to watch in their roles as they used facial expression and body language only to express what these men could not say. However, the award will definitely go to Eddie Redmayne, who takes it to the limit of physical contortion to play Professor Stephen Hawking over a roughly 30 year timeframe as his body wastes from Motor Neurone disease. He convincingly portrays Hawking as both an intelligent, funny charmer and a bit of a rogue, being especially trying to his wife at times.
Best Supporting Actress
Meryl Streep (Into the Woods), Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Laura Dern (Wild), Emma Stone (Birdman), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
This is one year Meryl Streep is not going to win - as good as she is in general (I haven't seen the film) it is not the usual type of role to be nominated for in this category. Apart from that it is another strong field. Laura Dern's role is probably just too brief. I'm not a Keira Knightly fan usually but thought she was a great peppy shot in the arm for the otherwise too blokey Imitation Game. Emma Stone is raw and sassy as the ex-junkie daughter in Birdman but again I think it was a little brief. Patricia Arquette is exquisite in Boyhood though, taking you on a roller coaster ride of mothering through a series of bad choices of men while trying to make a living for her family and have a career. Her final words in Boyhood have stayed with me for a long time afterwards. So poignant.
Best Supporting Actor
JK Simmons (Whiplash), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman), Robert Duvall (The Judge), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
I've missed two performances in this category this year, including JK Simmons. So I'm going with the weight of sentiment in choosing this winner rather than making my own assessment. Kinda sad for the other guys though - Mark Ruffalo could have had this any other year, and Edward Norton is hilarious in Birdman.
Best Director
Alejandro G Inarritu (Birdman), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher), Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game)
Tough one to call. There are two groundbreaking technical achievements in this pack, two directors who drew excellent performances and built great tension in moody historical dramas, and one who continues to further his wacky vision and obsession with centring shots (search for Wes Anderson - Centred on Vimeo and watch this awesome video). Since I didn't really like Birdman as a film, I'm going with Richard Linklater for his amazing vision to film a movie over a 12 year period with strong continuity, great screenplay and involvement from his actors.
And the rest of the categories I dare to attempt:
Best Cinematography - hands down this will go to Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman. How on earth they achieved these continuous long takes we may never know!
Best Animated Film - I've seen none of them but feel it will be How to Train your Dragon 2 based on what I've read and heard about it.
Best Original Screenplay - I'm going with the out-of-the-box choice here of The Grand Budapest Hotel for the snappy dialogue.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Extremely difficult to call as any could win. I'm going to go with Whiplash.
Best Production Design - The Grand Budapest Hotel has to have this one.
Visual Effects - It will be a crime if X-Men: Days of Future Past doesn't win this for the Quiksilver scene alone. Go Aussie!
Let's see how I go!
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Oscars 2014 Predictions
Tomorrow is Oscars day! Left it a little late to see many of the Oscars films but I've had a late run at it today and what I haven't seen I'm going to piece together from "the buzz".
Here are my predictions of who will walk away with the gold statue tomorrow:
Best Picture
I have seen 7 of the 9 movies nominated in this category. Only Philomena and Captain Phillips are the ones I've missed but I don't think either of those is in the running. This is a tough one as several of the movies are really worthy of winning. Having just watched Dallas Buyers' Club I think I'd rate that as the winner but it is probably just a little too niche so I'm going with the popular sentiment here and saying that "12 Years a Slave" will win.
Best Actor
Another tough call on this one as I've seen all of these performances and all are great. Chiwetel Ejiofor does a great job of both the despair and strength of a free man enslaved. I'm tempted to say he can get there, but Hollywood does love a good redemption and so I think Matthew McConaughey will just take this one out.
Best Actress
Not a lot of point conjecturing about this one - Cate Blanchett seems to have it all wrapped up. Finally we have discovered what can beat Meryl.
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Fassbender gives the most complex performance in this group, and Jonah Hill the least. Again I'm tempted to go with Fassbender as I do like him and he has provided a real thought-provoking role, but this one is probably going to go to Jared Leto. As the waiting to transition transvestite with AIDS who brings some understanding to the homophobic Ron in Dallas Buyers Club, he is beautiful and tragic.
Best Supporting Actress
Only seen 3 of the 5 in this category but this is the real tight race where you don't know where it will go. I enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle and June Squibb in Nebraska, but newcomer Lupita Nyong'o had me in tears in 12 Years a Slave with her portrayal of someone with no hope for the future.
Animated Feature Film
Haven't seen any of these but I'd guess that Disney's return to traditional song-based film with a hint of feminism is going to beat the rest. Would have been great to see "The Wind Rises" take it out since it's the last movie for legend Hayao Miyazaki.
Best Director
While Steve McQueen (not the actor) has a real chance for 12 Years a Slave, it has got to be Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity in this category. The film was an absolute technical marvel and whole new level.
Best Cinematography & Best Visual Effects
I'm giving both of these to Gravity as well.
Best Costuming
American Hustle has got to have this one all sewn up - boom boom! Although the Great Gatsby stuff was beautiful, Hustle had the more, ahem, eye-catching approach.
Best Documentary
The film that absolutely should win this category is The Square. One of my top 10 films of last year and one that needs to be seen. However, I'm sad to say that I think "The Act of Killing" is going to be given the award. I hated this movie. However I can see how the voters are going to think that this one is the better documentary for the sheer amount of redemption extracted from the subject matter.
Foreign Film
I haven't seen most of these but I'm going to guess "The Hunt" for this one. On my "must-see" list.
Best Adapted Screenplay
I would have to predict that 12 Years a Slave has the edge in this category.
Best Original Screenplay
Very tough choice here as there are some big movies. But I'm going to go a little left of centre and suggest that "Her" could win this one. It was an amazing original story.
Here are my predictions of who will walk away with the gold statue tomorrow:
Best Picture
I have seen 7 of the 9 movies nominated in this category. Only Philomena and Captain Phillips are the ones I've missed but I don't think either of those is in the running. This is a tough one as several of the movies are really worthy of winning. Having just watched Dallas Buyers' Club I think I'd rate that as the winner but it is probably just a little too niche so I'm going with the popular sentiment here and saying that "12 Years a Slave" will win.
Best Actor
Another tough call on this one as I've seen all of these performances and all are great. Chiwetel Ejiofor does a great job of both the despair and strength of a free man enslaved. I'm tempted to say he can get there, but Hollywood does love a good redemption and so I think Matthew McConaughey will just take this one out.
Best Actress
Not a lot of point conjecturing about this one - Cate Blanchett seems to have it all wrapped up. Finally we have discovered what can beat Meryl.
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Fassbender gives the most complex performance in this group, and Jonah Hill the least. Again I'm tempted to go with Fassbender as I do like him and he has provided a real thought-provoking role, but this one is probably going to go to Jared Leto. As the waiting to transition transvestite with AIDS who brings some understanding to the homophobic Ron in Dallas Buyers Club, he is beautiful and tragic.
Best Supporting Actress
Only seen 3 of the 5 in this category but this is the real tight race where you don't know where it will go. I enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle and June Squibb in Nebraska, but newcomer Lupita Nyong'o had me in tears in 12 Years a Slave with her portrayal of someone with no hope for the future.
Animated Feature Film
Haven't seen any of these but I'd guess that Disney's return to traditional song-based film with a hint of feminism is going to beat the rest. Would have been great to see "The Wind Rises" take it out since it's the last movie for legend Hayao Miyazaki.
Best Director
While Steve McQueen (not the actor) has a real chance for 12 Years a Slave, it has got to be Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity in this category. The film was an absolute technical marvel and whole new level.
Best Cinematography & Best Visual Effects
I'm giving both of these to Gravity as well.
Best Costuming
American Hustle has got to have this one all sewn up - boom boom! Although the Great Gatsby stuff was beautiful, Hustle had the more, ahem, eye-catching approach.
Best Documentary
The film that absolutely should win this category is The Square. One of my top 10 films of last year and one that needs to be seen. However, I'm sad to say that I think "The Act of Killing" is going to be given the award. I hated this movie. However I can see how the voters are going to think that this one is the better documentary for the sheer amount of redemption extracted from the subject matter.
Foreign Film
I haven't seen most of these but I'm going to guess "The Hunt" for this one. On my "must-see" list.
Best Adapted Screenplay
I would have to predict that 12 Years a Slave has the edge in this category.
Best Original Screenplay
Very tough choice here as there are some big movies. But I'm going to go a little left of centre and suggest that "Her" could win this one. It was an amazing original story.
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
DVD Gem - Beasts of the Southern Wild
A film that may have passed you by but is definitely worth a watch is
‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’. It scored
rave reviews from a range of movie critics after a short release last year, and
was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (a first timer!), Best
Actress (9 year old Quevenzhane Wallis) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Not bad for a movie most of us hadn’t heard
of! It didn't end up winning anything after all, but it’s an absolutely unique film
that will leave a lasting impression so I suggest you rent it out from the
video store!
Adapted from a play, the plot covers two main storylines – a
father teaching his young daughter how to survive in the world, and a community
who want to deal with a severe weather event in their own way. Where this becomes unlike anything you’ve
ever seen before is in the setting: ‘The Bathtub’. The bayous of Florida, outside the levee. It's a wild, primitive kind of life for the residents but that's the way they like it.
The main character is named Hushpuppy, a young girl whose mother just up and left her to be cared for by her father Wink. Wink has a tough love approach to raising Hushpuppy, but you can see that it is based on love. As the film progresses we suspect that it's because Wink has a medical condition which means he may or may not be around to take care of Hushpuppy for much longer, so he is teaching her to be self-sufficient even at the tender age of about 7. Problems arise for both when a huge storm hits the bayou (very Hurricane Katrina-like) and the water level rises, forcing the Bathtub dwellers into desperate action as their ecosystem struggles to survive. When the Government tries to forcibly evacuate them, they become even more determined to stay/get home.
Quevenzhane Wallis gives an extraordinary performance, being only around 7 years old and never having acted before. It's fierce and strong but also wondrous. Most of the actors in the film are actually non-actors from the area where the movie was filmed. It's a credit to the director that he has drawn such naturalistic performances from these people who must have gone through hell in some parts.
All of the above does absolutely no justice to the magic of this film. Hushpuppy's voiceovers give an insight into the poetic thoughts of this fierce young girl with a softer side as she longs to meet her mother. Her interest in ancient cave paintings and creatures manifests in the release of a group of ancient aurochs (large scary ox like creatures) who were frozen in ice, which has melted in a really unsubtle dig at global warming. As the movie progresses, the aurochs stampede towards the Bathtub and confrontation with Hushpuppy, but is it real or all in her mind? Will she actually find her mother?
What I loved about this movie was the combination of fierceness of these people but the joy they take in their simple lifestyles and the strength of the community and their roots. There are some very strong messages here, some obvious and some that require a bit of quiet reflection to notice. You won't be able to shake some of the images that you will see here so you will have time to think it over. It's a completely unique setting and unlike any other movies I've seen. There are no easy answers given and even the title is a puzzle - does it refer to the stampeding aurochs or the people of the Bathtub themselves?
The main character is named Hushpuppy, a young girl whose mother just up and left her to be cared for by her father Wink. Wink has a tough love approach to raising Hushpuppy, but you can see that it is based on love. As the film progresses we suspect that it's because Wink has a medical condition which means he may or may not be around to take care of Hushpuppy for much longer, so he is teaching her to be self-sufficient even at the tender age of about 7. Problems arise for both when a huge storm hits the bayou (very Hurricane Katrina-like) and the water level rises, forcing the Bathtub dwellers into desperate action as their ecosystem struggles to survive. When the Government tries to forcibly evacuate them, they become even more determined to stay/get home.
Quevenzhane Wallis gives an extraordinary performance, being only around 7 years old and never having acted before. It's fierce and strong but also wondrous. Most of the actors in the film are actually non-actors from the area where the movie was filmed. It's a credit to the director that he has drawn such naturalistic performances from these people who must have gone through hell in some parts.
All of the above does absolutely no justice to the magic of this film. Hushpuppy's voiceovers give an insight into the poetic thoughts of this fierce young girl with a softer side as she longs to meet her mother. Her interest in ancient cave paintings and creatures manifests in the release of a group of ancient aurochs (large scary ox like creatures) who were frozen in ice, which has melted in a really unsubtle dig at global warming. As the movie progresses, the aurochs stampede towards the Bathtub and confrontation with Hushpuppy, but is it real or all in her mind? Will she actually find her mother?
What I loved about this movie was the combination of fierceness of these people but the joy they take in their simple lifestyles and the strength of the community and their roots. There are some very strong messages here, some obvious and some that require a bit of quiet reflection to notice. You won't be able to shake some of the images that you will see here so you will have time to think it over. It's a completely unique setting and unlike any other movies I've seen. There are no easy answers given and even the title is a puzzle - does it refer to the stampeding aurochs or the people of the Bathtub themselves?
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Oscars 2013 Tips
The Oscars are on tomorrow! This has come at a bad time for me but I've managed to squeeze in seeing 4 of the Best Picture nominees in the last week so I feel a bit more informed now. Nobody better ruin any of the categories for me since I'll be taping the show while I'm at work and watching it later.....
Here are my predictions for the Oscars:
Best Picture
I'm now convinced that Argo is going to win this category. It was smart, entertaining but most of all tense and exciting. Lincoln was a worthy film on a worthy topic but it's just plain boring in parts. Beasts of the Southern Wild could pull of a surprise win but I don't think any of the others are in it.
Best Actor
There are some really good performances here but I think the favourite is Daniel Day Lewis and I think he probably does deserve to win and will win. It is a startling likeness and how much he changed his voice and walk is worthy of the award.
Best Actress
This is a tough choice, either Naomi Watts or Jennifer Lawrence will win. Both are excellent performances, one showy and dramatic, one understated and dramatic. I'm going to pick Jennifer Lawrence as the winner but I personally think Naomi deserves it.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained, surely. Anything else will be a crime. Alan Arkin is barely in Argo!
Best Supporting Actress
Les Mis is one of the few I haven't seen this year but I'm going with the short-priced favourite, Anne Hathaway for this category.
Best Screenplay - Adapted
Tough choice again. Argo may win this too for a very smart script.
Best Screenplay - Original
Come on down Quentin Tarantino. Django Unchained is the highest profile here, although Amour could give it a run for it's money with the critics.
Best Song
Adele's Skyfall theme should romp home here. I'm still humming it!
Best Animated Feature
I reckon Wreck-It Ralph will take the trophy here although Frankenweenie was better and had more heart.
Best Cinematography
I'm betting on Life of Pi to win this and the Visual Effects Oscar. It was stunning!
Best Foreign Film
Amour will surely top this category.
Best Director
This is probably the hardest one for me to pick. Steven Spielberg is the sentimental favourite and Lincoln is again worthy subject matter, but the film is kind of boring. I'd like to see Ang Lee win for making the 'unfilmable' book Life of Pi into such a great movie, and I'd like to see Behn Zeitlin win for the unique Beasts but it's probably too obscure. David O. Russell is too much of a troublemaker to win the Oscar at this point. Therefore I think Michael Haneke may win this, but I'll go with Spielberg as my final answer.
Seth McFarlane will kick arse as the host in opinion so I'm really looking forward to the ceremony regardless of how many I get right. Tracking down these films has given me many hours of quality viewing in the last few months. Feel free to comment on my accuracy with the benefit of hindsight tomorrow night!
Here are my predictions for the Oscars:
Best Picture
I'm now convinced that Argo is going to win this category. It was smart, entertaining but most of all tense and exciting. Lincoln was a worthy film on a worthy topic but it's just plain boring in parts. Beasts of the Southern Wild could pull of a surprise win but I don't think any of the others are in it.
Best Actor
There are some really good performances here but I think the favourite is Daniel Day Lewis and I think he probably does deserve to win and will win. It is a startling likeness and how much he changed his voice and walk is worthy of the award.
Best Actress
This is a tough choice, either Naomi Watts or Jennifer Lawrence will win. Both are excellent performances, one showy and dramatic, one understated and dramatic. I'm going to pick Jennifer Lawrence as the winner but I personally think Naomi deserves it.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained, surely. Anything else will be a crime. Alan Arkin is barely in Argo!
Best Supporting Actress
Les Mis is one of the few I haven't seen this year but I'm going with the short-priced favourite, Anne Hathaway for this category.
Best Screenplay - Adapted
Tough choice again. Argo may win this too for a very smart script.
Best Screenplay - Original
Come on down Quentin Tarantino. Django Unchained is the highest profile here, although Amour could give it a run for it's money with the critics.
Best Song
Adele's Skyfall theme should romp home here. I'm still humming it!
Best Animated Feature
I reckon Wreck-It Ralph will take the trophy here although Frankenweenie was better and had more heart.
Best Cinematography
I'm betting on Life of Pi to win this and the Visual Effects Oscar. It was stunning!
Best Foreign Film
Amour will surely top this category.
Best Director
This is probably the hardest one for me to pick. Steven Spielberg is the sentimental favourite and Lincoln is again worthy subject matter, but the film is kind of boring. I'd like to see Ang Lee win for making the 'unfilmable' book Life of Pi into such a great movie, and I'd like to see Behn Zeitlin win for the unique Beasts but it's probably too obscure. David O. Russell is too much of a troublemaker to win the Oscar at this point. Therefore I think Michael Haneke may win this, but I'll go with Spielberg as my final answer.
Seth McFarlane will kick arse as the host in opinion so I'm really looking forward to the ceremony regardless of how many I get right. Tracking down these films has given me many hours of quality viewing in the last few months. Feel free to comment on my accuracy with the benefit of hindsight tomorrow night!
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Movie # 5 - The Impossible
The Impossible is a devastating movie to watch, recreating
the events of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami which struck Indonesia, Thailand, the
Maldives and other countries in the same region. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed,
many more injured or displaced and any beachfront land was just razed. The impact was so devastating because they
were so unprepared for it, leading to the development of the current Early
Warning System that we have now. So why
do we want or need a movie on this topic when there was so much news coverage
at the time and on the anniversaries ever since?
The answer I guess lies in the way the filmmakers have
chosen to tell the story – reducing the focus down to the survival story of one
family and not trying to look at the region wide issues or just shock you for
shock’s sake. It’s a story of great
courage, determination and never losing hope, set in possibly the most hopeless
and scary situation you could face. This
is based on the experiences of a real family from Spain who were holidaying when the tsunami struck, with the mother and eldest son being swept away by
the wall of water, while the father and two little boys who remained at the
destroyed resort. In the film, it has
been changed to an English family for reasons unknown but probably to allow them
to cast Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as the couple, who put in powerhouse
performances. I don’t know how closely
the plot sticks to their real experience but it seems pretty authentic with all
the ‘near misses’ the family goes through in their quest to be reunited.
My motivation in seeing the movie was mainly driven by the
hype around Naomi Watts’ performance as Maria Bennett, rather than any
particular desire to understand more about the tsunami. And so I was a little unprepared for the
shock and awe that the filmmakers have delivered, finding myself gasping out
loud at various points, white knuckled with stress and welling up with emotion
as some of the parents’ incredibly difficult decisions resulted in sad
consequences.
The performance by Naomi Watts is incredible, even when she
is simply lying in a hospital terribly injured.
The director has literally and figuratively put her through a wringer in
this film and she does deserve the awards she has won to date. But Ewan McGregor’s performance should not
have been overlooked either, although featuring less in the movie, as some of
his scenes are the most heart wrenching of all as he is torn between looking
after his small children or searching for his beloved wife and eldest son who
may be dead but he refuses to give up hope.
The children’s performances are quite amazing for their age and what
they must have been exposed to mentally and physically to pull off the tsunami
scene.
Many people will choose not to see this movie to avoid a
reminder of a huge tragedy which could be exploitative, and I completely
understand this. I would have been one
of that group without my Oscars goal.
It’s not a must-see movie given how closely it covers an enormous level
of human suffering. However, I’m glad that I did see it and that they haven’t
exploited the issue. I definitely can’t
say I enjoyed it (yes I know it’s one of my favourite descriptions, I will work
on that) but I gained something from the viewing. An appreciation of the smallness of our
existence compared to Mother Nature’s power, of telling the people around you
that you love them (something the family in the movie did all the time which is
probably what gave them the hope to carry on looking and find each other,
knowing the others would be doing the same) and of the strength we are capable
of if we have a purpose and don’t just give in to hopelessness. Sad and
horrifying, but inspirational and amazing.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Movie # 4 - Silver Linings Playbook
I approached Silver Linings Playbook more for the level of Oscar nominations than any familiarity with the popular in America book or strong connection to the plot. However it turns out that the plotline kind of mirrors the situation that someone we know is going through right now which made it much more personal to watch than I would have guessed.
The movie follows a 30 something guy called Pat whose mother has just come to release him from a mental institution, where he has been since an 'incident' six months earlier that broke up his marriage and resulted in him being diagnosed as bipolar and delusional. That incident is revealed early on to be much more severe than Pat makes it sound but Pat is living under the delusion that he will turn his life around without needing medication and get his wife Nicki back. The film explores Pat's journey as he struggles to achieve his goal, puts his family through a rollercoaster ride and forms an emotionally volatile friendship with Tiffany, who may or may not also have a few mental issues.
Both Pat and Tiffany are quite socially awkward which would make them quite unlikeable in real life but the characters both have enough redeeming moments to make you really want to cheer for them to get through their issues and achieve stability. The performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in these roles are very strong, mainly because they haven't gone 'showy' with them - they feel natural and realistic. No wonder the pair have won Oscar nominations for acting, although Jennifer is more likely to win her category than Bradley.
The supporting parts and plotlines are also quality. The football angle, where Pat's dad is an obsessed Eagles NFL team fan and amateur bookmaker who wants Pat to spend time watching games with him to help the 'juju', is a bit cheesy but ultimately satisfying. Robert de Niro does a nice restrained performance (for once) as a man struggling with his son's illness while possibly also suffering some similar, undiagnosed issues. Jacki Weaving is also nicely subdued as Pat's supportive Mum with a nice slightly Jewish accent. Chris Tucker pops up briefly as a friend from the psych hospital and John Ortiz is Pat's best buddy Ronnie who is having his own issues with his seemingly perfect life but these subplots get a little bit sidelined to keep the movie on track.
Overall I think they key to this movie is the fact that it is all quite understated, so you don't really 'enjoy' it but I did walk away thinking that it was very good and that I hadn't just seen an 'issues movie'. On reflection, it probably has some good messages about using positivity to make changes in your life but that it's not always that simple. It really can be so difficult for people to overcome mental issues which should not be dismissed lightly.
I don't see this winning the Best Picture Oscar but we could definitely see some acting wins (de Niro and Weaving are also nominated).
The movie follows a 30 something guy called Pat whose mother has just come to release him from a mental institution, where he has been since an 'incident' six months earlier that broke up his marriage and resulted in him being diagnosed as bipolar and delusional. That incident is revealed early on to be much more severe than Pat makes it sound but Pat is living under the delusion that he will turn his life around without needing medication and get his wife Nicki back. The film explores Pat's journey as he struggles to achieve his goal, puts his family through a rollercoaster ride and forms an emotionally volatile friendship with Tiffany, who may or may not also have a few mental issues.
Both Pat and Tiffany are quite socially awkward which would make them quite unlikeable in real life but the characters both have enough redeeming moments to make you really want to cheer for them to get through their issues and achieve stability. The performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in these roles are very strong, mainly because they haven't gone 'showy' with them - they feel natural and realistic. No wonder the pair have won Oscar nominations for acting, although Jennifer is more likely to win her category than Bradley.
The supporting parts and plotlines are also quality. The football angle, where Pat's dad is an obsessed Eagles NFL team fan and amateur bookmaker who wants Pat to spend time watching games with him to help the 'juju', is a bit cheesy but ultimately satisfying. Robert de Niro does a nice restrained performance (for once) as a man struggling with his son's illness while possibly also suffering some similar, undiagnosed issues. Jacki Weaving is also nicely subdued as Pat's supportive Mum with a nice slightly Jewish accent. Chris Tucker pops up briefly as a friend from the psych hospital and John Ortiz is Pat's best buddy Ronnie who is having his own issues with his seemingly perfect life but these subplots get a little bit sidelined to keep the movie on track.
Overall I think they key to this movie is the fact that it is all quite understated, so you don't really 'enjoy' it but I did walk away thinking that it was very good and that I hadn't just seen an 'issues movie'. On reflection, it probably has some good messages about using positivity to make changes in your life but that it's not always that simple. It really can be so difficult for people to overcome mental issues which should not be dismissed lightly.
I don't see this winning the Best Picture Oscar but we could definitely see some acting wins (de Niro and Weaving are also nominated).
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Movie #3 - Life of Pi
It was with very mixed opinions ringing in my ears that I approached seeing this film. Some said it was fantastic, life-changing and spectacular. Others said it wasn't their sort of movie (most of whom hadn't seen it). I decided to just keep an open mind and if the storyline failed to interest, the visuals would at least be stunning. Turns out that was the best way to go in, as I actually really liked everything about it.
The movie begins with a writer (Rafe Spall) meeting up with the now middle aged Pi (short for Piscine) who, he has heard, has an amazing story to share. Pi begins to recount the story and we flash back in time to meet the young Pi growing up in India where his family runs a zoo. The film then alternates between Pi framing the story with the writer in the present day, and the re-enactment of the story at various intervals of his life, before returning to the present to give some context to what you've just seen. So to answer the first question some have had: No, it's not a 2 hour movie about a boy trapped on a boat with a tiger. There is a lot of framing device and back story before we get to that.
The various stages of Pi's life that we visit include: when he is very young and his father teaches him that the wild zoo animals such as the tiger are not your friend, they are wild animals with no souls and it is healthy to fear them; when he is a young teenager and starts to explore different religions and faiths and practices three at once (which his science believing father finds ridiculous); and when he is an older teenager and meets a girl he likes. All three of these stages and Pi's reactions are key to the story that then unfolds - the story of how his parents decide to take the zoo animals to Canada to sell them and live a comfortable life, and the ship the family and the animals take passage on sinks during a storm. Pi ends up in a lifeboat with a couple of the animals (hyena, zebra, orangutan and tiger) for company, while the boat sinks with his mother, father and brother and all the crew onboard.
The amazing part of his story is how he then survives for 227 days at sea. This is retold in detail before the film throws up a really head scratching question at the end - did this really happen the way he says it did, or did something else happen and this is the more 'appealing' story that he and the writer and us the viewer want to believe? The alternative story is presented but I'm not going to ruin that for you. I'm still ruminating on this question and issue a few days later, to the point of looking up internet forums to see what other people's take is on it. Happy to discuss privately with anyone who wants to take it up - but not going to spoil things for people who haven't seen it.
The movie is fantastic because it combines beautiful visuals, a gripping storyline (even though you know he survives since he is re-telling his own story) and a deeper meaning that is open-ended enough for each person to make up their own mind what it means. The 3D has been used so effectively, the movie just looks amazing in so many scenes, especially in the lifeboat scenes where the sea and sky can merge so seamlessly. Pi's fight for survival is very instructive but surprisingly evokes a fair bit of the humour of the film as well. And the deep and meaningful part has many facets - religion, faith, ending of relationships, environmental warnings - depending on how much you want to think about it. As a long time atheist, I thought at first that this was going to stuff belief in God down our throats but ultimately it surprised by leaving it totally up to you to find God's place, or non-place, in the movie. The main thing I took away from it was actually the thought to tell people how you feel now and be more present in the moment, because sometimes we don't always get a chance to say 'goodbye' and create the ideal parting.
They key to the strength of this film is in the performance by Surat Sharma as the Pi who goes through the shipwreck and time on the lifeboat. It's an absolutely raw and powerful performance by a first time actor and in any other year, he may have earned an Oscar nomination. Ang Lee deserves his 'Best Director' nomination because he has made what many considered to be an unfilmable book into a beautiful, complex film that seems simple on the surface but provokes much thought and discussion. My Oscars tipping just got a lot more difficult.....
The movie begins with a writer (Rafe Spall) meeting up with the now middle aged Pi (short for Piscine) who, he has heard, has an amazing story to share. Pi begins to recount the story and we flash back in time to meet the young Pi growing up in India where his family runs a zoo. The film then alternates between Pi framing the story with the writer in the present day, and the re-enactment of the story at various intervals of his life, before returning to the present to give some context to what you've just seen. So to answer the first question some have had: No, it's not a 2 hour movie about a boy trapped on a boat with a tiger. There is a lot of framing device and back story before we get to that.
The various stages of Pi's life that we visit include: when he is very young and his father teaches him that the wild zoo animals such as the tiger are not your friend, they are wild animals with no souls and it is healthy to fear them; when he is a young teenager and starts to explore different religions and faiths and practices three at once (which his science believing father finds ridiculous); and when he is an older teenager and meets a girl he likes. All three of these stages and Pi's reactions are key to the story that then unfolds - the story of how his parents decide to take the zoo animals to Canada to sell them and live a comfortable life, and the ship the family and the animals take passage on sinks during a storm. Pi ends up in a lifeboat with a couple of the animals (hyena, zebra, orangutan and tiger) for company, while the boat sinks with his mother, father and brother and all the crew onboard.
The amazing part of his story is how he then survives for 227 days at sea. This is retold in detail before the film throws up a really head scratching question at the end - did this really happen the way he says it did, or did something else happen and this is the more 'appealing' story that he and the writer and us the viewer want to believe? The alternative story is presented but I'm not going to ruin that for you. I'm still ruminating on this question and issue a few days later, to the point of looking up internet forums to see what other people's take is on it. Happy to discuss privately with anyone who wants to take it up - but not going to spoil things for people who haven't seen it.
The movie is fantastic because it combines beautiful visuals, a gripping storyline (even though you know he survives since he is re-telling his own story) and a deeper meaning that is open-ended enough for each person to make up their own mind what it means. The 3D has been used so effectively, the movie just looks amazing in so many scenes, especially in the lifeboat scenes where the sea and sky can merge so seamlessly. Pi's fight for survival is very instructive but surprisingly evokes a fair bit of the humour of the film as well. And the deep and meaningful part has many facets - religion, faith, ending of relationships, environmental warnings - depending on how much you want to think about it. As a long time atheist, I thought at first that this was going to stuff belief in God down our throats but ultimately it surprised by leaving it totally up to you to find God's place, or non-place, in the movie. The main thing I took away from it was actually the thought to tell people how you feel now and be more present in the moment, because sometimes we don't always get a chance to say 'goodbye' and create the ideal parting.
They key to the strength of this film is in the performance by Surat Sharma as the Pi who goes through the shipwreck and time on the lifeboat. It's an absolutely raw and powerful performance by a first time actor and in any other year, he may have earned an Oscar nomination. Ang Lee deserves his 'Best Director' nomination because he has made what many considered to be an unfilmable book into a beautiful, complex film that seems simple on the surface but provokes much thought and discussion. My Oscars tipping just got a lot more difficult.....
Saturday, 12 January 2013
The Oscars - a must-watch this year?
Oscars time again and for the first time in a few years I think the Oscars are going to be interesting to more people than just me! Why?
* Seth MacFarlane hosting. Yep, the guy who shocks the world regularly with Family Guy, American Dad and the recent huge hit comedy film Ted which he co-write, directed and acted as/voiced Ted. Looking comfortable and funny at the nomination announcement, things look promising.
* A fairly high number of the nominated films have come out here or will before the Oscars are held on Feb 24. This means you may have seen more than one film and can get right into the water cooler debates over who should win, who will win etc etc.
* A 50 years of James Bond retrospective will be included in this year's ceremony
* The films chosen are largely pretty mainstream compared to other years (except Beasts of the Southern Wild), increasing the chances of seeing more of them and creating more interest to see if your favourite wins.
* There have been a number of high-profile 'snubs' which will make watching the 'reactions' on the night very interesting. In particular, Ben Affleck is not nominated for Best Director for Argo despite it gaining noms for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. He'll be there but misses out on a nod for himself. Same for Kathryn Bigelow, whose 'CIA hunt for Osama bin Laden' pic Zero Dark Thirty is up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay but no Best Director nod. Having won for Hurt Locker in vaguely similar territory a few years back, this is a surprise.
* Quentin Tarantino is nominated for Best Original Screenplay and I think has a reasonable chance of winning. His acceptance speech given the subject matter of Django Unchained is highly anticipated.....
* Will a 9 year old win the Best Actress award? Would be the youngest winner ever. And a very strong possibility, the reviews of Beasts of the Southern Wild have been extremely positive.
* Will Adele perform her wonderful Skyfall theme song? It is nominated....
Here are the 9 movies fighting for the Best Picture gong:
Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Amour, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director Nominees: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, Michael Haneke for Amour, David O Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, Behn Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ang Lee for Life of Pi
For a full list of the nominations, go to the Oscars website here
http://oscar.go.com/nominees
The Oscars website also has a fun ballot system where you can lodge your picks and see how you go compared to your friends.
For Aussies reading this blog, Hoyts Rewards has a staggeringly good Oscars competition running - see certain nominated films at Hoyts before Feb 22, flash your Rewards card and you will be given an email to select your picks in 19 categories. The highest number of points for correct guesses and you win a year's worth of movie tickets (2 tickes per week for 52 weeks). It's a game of skill! And in the event of a tie, you have 24 hours to say, in 50 words or less, why you should win the prize! Join up now people, that's a sweet prize!
More Oscars related posts to follow as we make our way through Awards Season and I get to see more of the films.
* Seth MacFarlane hosting. Yep, the guy who shocks the world regularly with Family Guy, American Dad and the recent huge hit comedy film Ted which he co-write, directed and acted as/voiced Ted. Looking comfortable and funny at the nomination announcement, things look promising.
* A fairly high number of the nominated films have come out here or will before the Oscars are held on Feb 24. This means you may have seen more than one film and can get right into the water cooler debates over who should win, who will win etc etc.
* A 50 years of James Bond retrospective will be included in this year's ceremony
* The films chosen are largely pretty mainstream compared to other years (except Beasts of the Southern Wild), increasing the chances of seeing more of them and creating more interest to see if your favourite wins.
* There have been a number of high-profile 'snubs' which will make watching the 'reactions' on the night very interesting. In particular, Ben Affleck is not nominated for Best Director for Argo despite it gaining noms for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. He'll be there but misses out on a nod for himself. Same for Kathryn Bigelow, whose 'CIA hunt for Osama bin Laden' pic Zero Dark Thirty is up for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay but no Best Director nod. Having won for Hurt Locker in vaguely similar territory a few years back, this is a surprise.
* Quentin Tarantino is nominated for Best Original Screenplay and I think has a reasonable chance of winning. His acceptance speech given the subject matter of Django Unchained is highly anticipated.....
* Will a 9 year old win the Best Actress award? Would be the youngest winner ever. And a very strong possibility, the reviews of Beasts of the Southern Wild have been extremely positive.
* Will Adele perform her wonderful Skyfall theme song? It is nominated....
Here are the 9 movies fighting for the Best Picture gong:
Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Amour, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director Nominees: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, Michael Haneke for Amour, David O Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, Behn Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ang Lee for Life of Pi
For a full list of the nominations, go to the Oscars website here
http://oscar.go.com/nominees
The Oscars website also has a fun ballot system where you can lodge your picks and see how you go compared to your friends.
For Aussies reading this blog, Hoyts Rewards has a staggeringly good Oscars competition running - see certain nominated films at Hoyts before Feb 22, flash your Rewards card and you will be given an email to select your picks in 19 categories. The highest number of points for correct guesses and you win a year's worth of movie tickets (2 tickes per week for 52 weeks). It's a game of skill! And in the event of a tie, you have 24 hours to say, in 50 words or less, why you should win the prize! Join up now people, that's a sweet prize!
More Oscars related posts to follow as we make our way through Awards Season and I get to see more of the films.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Yay it's the Oscars!
It is the Sunday night before the Oscars and I am both excited and not excited. Excited because I always look forward to the show: the glitz, glamour and the whole production. With Billy Crystal back to host this year it should be funny in a non-offensive way. And who can resist looking at all the pretty dresses and mentally handing out your own best and worst dressed awards? Not excited because this year looks like being one of the most predictable in a while so the suspense is fairly low. And also it's hard not to dream about what it would have been like with Eddie Murphy hosting (if you read my Tower Heist review, you'd know the old fast-talking jive Eddie is back) and Brett Ratner producing. Brett's big mouth put paid to that though so we may never see it.
For Aussies, the Oscars will be shown live tomorrow (Monday 26 Feb) from 11am and probably repeated tomorrow night. That means today was my last day to "bone up" on the films before the ceremony. Although I probably won't watch it until Tuesday which is a day off, thanks to working tomorrow and a Sidewave tomorrow night. So today I studied up.
Of the 9 films nominated for Best Picture, I've now seen 7 after watching The Tree of Life and The Help today on DVD. Sorry but the Tree of Life is going to go down as one of the worst movies I've seen (review coming - stay tuned) but The Help was very good. I haven't seen Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close or Warhorse but neither of those is really in the running. The race is officially between The Artist and The Descendants, bit I actually think that The Artist and Hugo were the best movies. I think The Artist is definitely going to win and it's such a hot favourite you wouldn't even bet on it at $1.05 odds on. It has the X factor that in my opinion The Descendants was lacking, while Hugo is going to suffer for being written off as a kids' movie which it really wasn't. Both Moneyball and Midnight in Paris were enjoyable movies but just not in the same league. Strangely for The Help it is looking likely to sweep the acting trophies but not win the Best Picture even though it could also deserve it. Any other year and such a big "issues" film with a strong cast and wide appeal would have been the favourite. But The Artist is a very poignant film with the added bonus of being about the movies and also something that we haven't seen for a while (silent, black and white).
Money's on: The Artist
Could still go to: The Descendants or The Help
The Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress trophies are odds on to go to Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively, both for The Help. Octavia has won this category in every awards ceremony this season so why would she stop now? The only real competition for the Best Actress award is the first lady of acting, Meryl Streep, for her impersonation of Margaret Thatcher which looked frightengly good in the previews I saw. I think though that The Help actresses will have popularity on their side, and their performances were very touching and not too showy. It's a real shame I think that Kirsten Dunst did not score a nomination for Melancholia as I think her acting was incredible in that movie and she could've been a strong contender. Rooney Mara's nom for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a bit of a head scratcher as she's too new and it's a bit too alternative. Jessica Chastain is unfortunate to be up against her own castmate who had the more sypathetic role, as she was also very good in The Help and a lot of people thought she should've been nominated for The Tree of Life. That girl came from nowhere and was everywhere last year!
Money's on: Viola Davis (Best Actress) and Octavia Spencer (Best Supporting Actress)
Could still win: Meryl Streep (Best Actress)
The Best Actor race is also down to a two-horse race between Mr Clooney and Jean Dujardin from The Artist. Having won most or all of the lead up awards where the categories weren't split (at the Golden Globes George won for Best Drama and Jean for Best Comedy/Musical), Jean is a hot favourite to win. The betting is more open for this category so it really could go either way. But it's pretty certain that Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor etc) and Demian Bechir (A Better Life) aren't really in it. I praised Pitt's performance but it is too understated. My personal view is that Clooney has given one of his best in The Descendants but Jean Dujardin is irrestistible as silent movie star George Valentin. He portrays the rise and fall of George perfectly, especially given he doesn't get to utter a word until one minute before the end.
Money's on: Jean Dujardin
Could still win: George Clooney
Best Director is a more open race in my opinion. Although Michael Hazavinicius is odds on to win for The Artist, he is relatively unknown. I feel that the maestro Martin Scorcese did a terrific job on Hugo, filiming in 3D for the first time in a period adventure film. If Hazavinicius can win for doing something different than expected, then Scorcese should stand an equal chance in my book. Woody Allen created some magic in Paris but that had more to do with the location, screenplay and appealing stars than the direction itself. If Terence Malick won for The Tree of Life I think I'd have to eat my hat. It was so esoteric it's just not funny. Alexander Payne did a great job on The Descendants though, with fans of the book being very pleased with the screen translation. He's also an Oscar fave after winning for Sideways a few years back.
Money's on: Michael Hazavinicius
Could still win: Martin Scorcese or Alexander Payne
In the Screenplay category I'm going to go with the favourite and say that The Artist is pretty likely to win Best Screenplay written directly for the Screen. And it will deserve to win that category. Which is a shame for Bridesmaids which would also deserve to win but won't because it's a straight out comedy and the Academy would never have that. Best Adapted Screenplay is the category that's probably the most wide open. This could deservingly go to either The Descendants, Hugo or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. I would really like Hugo to win this one but I'm predicting The Descendants.
Some other predictions are:
Man or a Muppet is definitely going to win Best Song (from a very small field of 2 noms!), Tintin should win Best Score, Best Visual Effects should be Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and The Artist should take out Best Costume Design.
Now the predictions are out there so let's see how I go. The hardest part is going to be avoiding finding out any winners until I watch the ceremony, so I'll be going on a news and social media blackout from lunch time tomorrow. Please don't tell me anything about it until at least Tuesday night!! I do love a good surprise.
For Aussies, the Oscars will be shown live tomorrow (Monday 26 Feb) from 11am and probably repeated tomorrow night. That means today was my last day to "bone up" on the films before the ceremony. Although I probably won't watch it until Tuesday which is a day off, thanks to working tomorrow and a Sidewave tomorrow night. So today I studied up.
Of the 9 films nominated for Best Picture, I've now seen 7 after watching The Tree of Life and The Help today on DVD. Sorry but the Tree of Life is going to go down as one of the worst movies I've seen (review coming - stay tuned) but The Help was very good. I haven't seen Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close or Warhorse but neither of those is really in the running. The race is officially between The Artist and The Descendants, bit I actually think that The Artist and Hugo were the best movies. I think The Artist is definitely going to win and it's such a hot favourite you wouldn't even bet on it at $1.05 odds on. It has the X factor that in my opinion The Descendants was lacking, while Hugo is going to suffer for being written off as a kids' movie which it really wasn't. Both Moneyball and Midnight in Paris were enjoyable movies but just not in the same league. Strangely for The Help it is looking likely to sweep the acting trophies but not win the Best Picture even though it could also deserve it. Any other year and such a big "issues" film with a strong cast and wide appeal would have been the favourite. But The Artist is a very poignant film with the added bonus of being about the movies and also something that we haven't seen for a while (silent, black and white).
Money's on: The Artist
Could still go to: The Descendants or The Help
The Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress trophies are odds on to go to Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer respectively, both for The Help. Octavia has won this category in every awards ceremony this season so why would she stop now? The only real competition for the Best Actress award is the first lady of acting, Meryl Streep, for her impersonation of Margaret Thatcher which looked frightengly good in the previews I saw. I think though that The Help actresses will have popularity on their side, and their performances were very touching and not too showy. It's a real shame I think that Kirsten Dunst did not score a nomination for Melancholia as I think her acting was incredible in that movie and she could've been a strong contender. Rooney Mara's nom for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a bit of a head scratcher as she's too new and it's a bit too alternative. Jessica Chastain is unfortunate to be up against her own castmate who had the more sypathetic role, as she was also very good in The Help and a lot of people thought she should've been nominated for The Tree of Life. That girl came from nowhere and was everywhere last year!
Money's on: Viola Davis (Best Actress) and Octavia Spencer (Best Supporting Actress)
Could still win: Meryl Streep (Best Actress)
The Best Actor race is also down to a two-horse race between Mr Clooney and Jean Dujardin from The Artist. Having won most or all of the lead up awards where the categories weren't split (at the Golden Globes George won for Best Drama and Jean for Best Comedy/Musical), Jean is a hot favourite to win. The betting is more open for this category so it really could go either way. But it's pretty certain that Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor etc) and Demian Bechir (A Better Life) aren't really in it. I praised Pitt's performance but it is too understated. My personal view is that Clooney has given one of his best in The Descendants but Jean Dujardin is irrestistible as silent movie star George Valentin. He portrays the rise and fall of George perfectly, especially given he doesn't get to utter a word until one minute before the end.
Money's on: Jean Dujardin
Could still win: George Clooney
Best Director is a more open race in my opinion. Although Michael Hazavinicius is odds on to win for The Artist, he is relatively unknown. I feel that the maestro Martin Scorcese did a terrific job on Hugo, filiming in 3D for the first time in a period adventure film. If Hazavinicius can win for doing something different than expected, then Scorcese should stand an equal chance in my book. Woody Allen created some magic in Paris but that had more to do with the location, screenplay and appealing stars than the direction itself. If Terence Malick won for The Tree of Life I think I'd have to eat my hat. It was so esoteric it's just not funny. Alexander Payne did a great job on The Descendants though, with fans of the book being very pleased with the screen translation. He's also an Oscar fave after winning for Sideways a few years back.
Money's on: Michael Hazavinicius
Could still win: Martin Scorcese or Alexander Payne
In the Screenplay category I'm going to go with the favourite and say that The Artist is pretty likely to win Best Screenplay written directly for the Screen. And it will deserve to win that category. Which is a shame for Bridesmaids which would also deserve to win but won't because it's a straight out comedy and the Academy would never have that. Best Adapted Screenplay is the category that's probably the most wide open. This could deservingly go to either The Descendants, Hugo or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. I would really like Hugo to win this one but I'm predicting The Descendants.
Some other predictions are:
Man or a Muppet is definitely going to win Best Song (from a very small field of 2 noms!), Tintin should win Best Score, Best Visual Effects should be Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and The Artist should take out Best Costume Design.
Now the predictions are out there so let's see how I go. The hardest part is going to be avoiding finding out any winners until I watch the ceremony, so I'll be going on a news and social media blackout from lunch time tomorrow. Please don't tell me anything about it until at least Tuesday night!! I do love a good surprise.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Road to the Oscars 2012 - Are we excited yet?
This trailer is pretty star studded but could've been funnier. However I think Billy is going to do a better job than James Franco and Anne Hathaway last year. Likeable people, just tried a bit too hard.
I have a feeling the awards nominations this year will be full of recent movies released in the US that will barely be out in Australia before the ceremony so it may be hard to get too excited. I'm crossing my fingers right now for Kirsten Dunst since seeing Melancholia.
I have a feeling the awards nominations this year will be full of recent movies released in the US that will barely be out in Australia before the ceremony so it may be hard to get too excited. I'm crossing my fingers right now for Kirsten Dunst since seeing Melancholia.
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