Until next time...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
It's been a while
Well, I haven't posted on here in a few months, thanks to school, work, etc. I'm hoping to get back on here and start posting reviews/thoughts more and more as the summer goes on. One topic I'd like to discuss is the upcoming movie Inception. Now, ever since I heard Christopher Nolan was working on his next project after The Dark Knight, I was ecstatic. Nolan has quickly become my favorite director. Ever since I saw Batman Begins in theaters way back in 2005, I have seen every one of his movies (except one, which I will watch this summer). He is such a great director, and storyteller in his movies. Whether it be an original idea, or adapted, it seems like he knows exactly what he wants in his movies, and knows exactly how to make them work. I believe we have the making of a directing genius. His new project, Inception seems to be nothing less than his best. From very early reviews, it seems like this is his masterpiece, yes even more so than Memento. Please go watch the Inception trailers. July 16- be in the theater seeing this movie. I have a feeling it will be truly great. More to come soon.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
And the Oscar goes to...
So, awards season has come and gone, but it has been a great one nonetheless. This is a little late of a post, but better late than never, eh? Let's start with best picture and move on down the line.
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker. This movie went in as the frontrunner, but some people still thought Avatar would come out on top. I had a feeling all along that this would get best picture just because it stood the test of time. It was released last summer, and never really lost momentum with critics. It deservedly won. It is one of the best war movies ever made.
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker. Once again, Kathryn was the frontunner going in to the Oscars, but her stiffest competition was her ex-husband James Cameron for Avatar. I am glad Kathryn won, as she made the audience sit at the edge of their seats throughout the film. True movie making at its best.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: No surprise here, Jeff Bridges wins his first Oscar after many nominations. I haven't seen his performance in Crazy Heart, but I would bet that his biggest competition was Colin Firth in a Single Man. Firth's performance is hailed as the best of his career, and I hope to see both to determine who I think should've gotten this award. Nonetheless, congrats Bridges.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock comes away with this award. Her and Meryl Streep were battling it out all season winning awards here and there, but once we got the SAGs we saw that Bullock was slowly pulling away, and went in as the clear favorite. It is sad to see that Meryl, who has now been nominated 16 times, hasn't walked away with an Oscar in 27 years. I hope she can get another great role and finally win her 3rd Oscar sometime soon. I still think she deserved it last year for her performance in doubt (yes, even over Kate Winslet).
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: One of the easiest races to call this year was supporting actor. If I had to pick one category to bet on before the big night, it would've been this one. Christoph Waltz gave one of the fiercest performances ever to be on screen, and deserved this Oscar like no other. He was easily the favorite going in by a mile. The other nominees had a pretty easy night: go in, smile, have fun at the Oscars; no need to worry about winning an Oscar, Christoph already has it.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: The second easiest category to pick would be supporting actress. Mo'Nique was the leader going in, and the producers milked that, holding this category to about midway through the ceremony, when it is usually the first award given out. Congrats Mo'Nique on your first nomination and win for this role.
Best Original Screenplay: There was a two way race here-Mark Boal for the Hurt Locker, and Quinten Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds. I knew that if the night was going for the Hurt Locker, then Boal would win, but if it wasn't Tarantino would. Well, needless to say, it went to Boal. Both were great scripts, so either one would've been a good win. Congrats Mark Boal.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Here is where the biggest surprise of the night came from. When Geoffrey Fletcher won this for Precious, it was clear that the Academy would shut Up in the Air out for any awards. I thought this would be an easy win for Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner. I think UITA peaked too early in the season to be a true contender on Oscar night. Remember when UITA was the favorite for best picture way back in December? It lost steam right in the middle of January, going into the critic's choice awards, Golden Globes, SAGs. It's okay, Reitman and Sheldon were the winners in my book.
Best Acheivement in Cinematopgraphy: Second most shock of the night (see above). I figured the Hurt Locker or The White Ribbon would win this award, but it really was a four-way race. The White Ribbon had the cinematographers guild win, while the Hurt Locker had almost every other win.
Editing: the Hurt Locker
Art Direction: Avatar-not a huge surprise here, and Sigourney Weaver presenting the award helped out also.
Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino for Up. This was an easy win for Giacchino, although if things would have gone for Avatar that night, I think James Horner could've come away with the award for Avatar. I think the right person won though, and I feel that Giacchino will have many more nominations (and wins) to come in his career.
Sound Mixing and Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker. once THL won these two, I think we all knew who would win Best Picture. Everyone thought Avatar would easily sweep the technical awards, but it didn't win many, so this was an early sign of how the night was gonna go.
Visual Effects: Avatar. Duh.
Best Animated Film: Up. Again, duh. Pixar has dominated this category in recent years, easy win for them.
Best Foreign Language Film: El secreto de sus ojos (Argentina). Third biggest surprise of the night. I thought the White Ribbon (Germany) would easily win this award, but it lost steam at the last minute I guess. TWR won multiple awards going into the Oscars to be considered a frontrunner.
Best Documentary: The Cove. This was an easy frontrunner goin in, and this has become one of the easier categories to predict in recent years.
Overall Oscar count: The Hurt Locker-6. Avatar-3. Up in the Air-0. Precious-2. Up-1. Star Trek-1.
Well folks, that's the list of winners (mostly) from the 82nd annual Academy Awards. What's gonna happen next year? Stay tuned, and we'll see. What an awards season it has been. Actually, a great year for movies all around. I could not be happier with the results. Thanks for reading.
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker. This movie went in as the frontrunner, but some people still thought Avatar would come out on top. I had a feeling all along that this would get best picture just because it stood the test of time. It was released last summer, and never really lost momentum with critics. It deservedly won. It is one of the best war movies ever made.
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker. Once again, Kathryn was the frontunner going in to the Oscars, but her stiffest competition was her ex-husband James Cameron for Avatar. I am glad Kathryn won, as she made the audience sit at the edge of their seats throughout the film. True movie making at its best.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: No surprise here, Jeff Bridges wins his first Oscar after many nominations. I haven't seen his performance in Crazy Heart, but I would bet that his biggest competition was Colin Firth in a Single Man. Firth's performance is hailed as the best of his career, and I hope to see both to determine who I think should've gotten this award. Nonetheless, congrats Bridges.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock comes away with this award. Her and Meryl Streep were battling it out all season winning awards here and there, but once we got the SAGs we saw that Bullock was slowly pulling away, and went in as the clear favorite. It is sad to see that Meryl, who has now been nominated 16 times, hasn't walked away with an Oscar in 27 years. I hope she can get another great role and finally win her 3rd Oscar sometime soon. I still think she deserved it last year for her performance in doubt (yes, even over Kate Winslet).
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: One of the easiest races to call this year was supporting actor. If I had to pick one category to bet on before the big night, it would've been this one. Christoph Waltz gave one of the fiercest performances ever to be on screen, and deserved this Oscar like no other. He was easily the favorite going in by a mile. The other nominees had a pretty easy night: go in, smile, have fun at the Oscars; no need to worry about winning an Oscar, Christoph already has it.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: The second easiest category to pick would be supporting actress. Mo'Nique was the leader going in, and the producers milked that, holding this category to about midway through the ceremony, when it is usually the first award given out. Congrats Mo'Nique on your first nomination and win for this role.
Best Original Screenplay: There was a two way race here-Mark Boal for the Hurt Locker, and Quinten Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds. I knew that if the night was going for the Hurt Locker, then Boal would win, but if it wasn't Tarantino would. Well, needless to say, it went to Boal. Both were great scripts, so either one would've been a good win. Congrats Mark Boal.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Here is where the biggest surprise of the night came from. When Geoffrey Fletcher won this for Precious, it was clear that the Academy would shut Up in the Air out for any awards. I thought this would be an easy win for Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner. I think UITA peaked too early in the season to be a true contender on Oscar night. Remember when UITA was the favorite for best picture way back in December? It lost steam right in the middle of January, going into the critic's choice awards, Golden Globes, SAGs. It's okay, Reitman and Sheldon were the winners in my book.
Best Acheivement in Cinematopgraphy: Second most shock of the night (see above). I figured the Hurt Locker or The White Ribbon would win this award, but it really was a four-way race. The White Ribbon had the cinematographers guild win, while the Hurt Locker had almost every other win.
Editing: the Hurt Locker
Art Direction: Avatar-not a huge surprise here, and Sigourney Weaver presenting the award helped out also.
Best Original Score: Michael Giacchino for Up. This was an easy win for Giacchino, although if things would have gone for Avatar that night, I think James Horner could've come away with the award for Avatar. I think the right person won though, and I feel that Giacchino will have many more nominations (and wins) to come in his career.
Sound Mixing and Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker. once THL won these two, I think we all knew who would win Best Picture. Everyone thought Avatar would easily sweep the technical awards, but it didn't win many, so this was an early sign of how the night was gonna go.
Visual Effects: Avatar. Duh.
Best Animated Film: Up. Again, duh. Pixar has dominated this category in recent years, easy win for them.
Best Foreign Language Film: El secreto de sus ojos (Argentina). Third biggest surprise of the night. I thought the White Ribbon (Germany) would easily win this award, but it lost steam at the last minute I guess. TWR won multiple awards going into the Oscars to be considered a frontrunner.
Best Documentary: The Cove. This was an easy frontrunner goin in, and this has become one of the easier categories to predict in recent years.
Overall Oscar count: The Hurt Locker-6. Avatar-3. Up in the Air-0. Precious-2. Up-1. Star Trek-1.
Well folks, that's the list of winners (mostly) from the 82nd annual Academy Awards. What's gonna happen next year? Stay tuned, and we'll see. What an awards season it has been. Actually, a great year for movies all around. I could not be happier with the results. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Review: Shutter Island
Grade: A
So, I saw Shutter Island last Friday (Feb. 19) and this Wednesday (Feb. 24), and haven't had time to write my review. Well, here it is.
Right from the beginning, Scorcese sets the tone of the film while playing John Adams's Fog Tropes right after the Paramount logo. The set up is a nice eerie feel to the film. We begin with seeing our protagonist, Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) on a boat on his way to Shutter Island. The music continues to prevail as the scene progresses, and Teddy and his partner Chuck (Ruffalo) enter the gates of the institution. Throughout the film, there are memories of war and dream sequences that are marvelously done by Scorcese. I think these scenes are the most memorable, and quite frankly some of the best scenes in a film that I've seen. The somber feel of them and the music that goes along is just spectacular. Oh yeah, you should take a listen to the soundtrack in its entirety, and you will have great recollections of the film. The film followed very closely to the novel, which was great. If you haven't read the book, go for it. If you liked the movie, you'll be even more impressed with the book. Even the second time seeing it, it was like it was the first time, it was stil lcaptivating. So, alas I got to see the movie that I was most anticipating for 2010, and was not dissapointed at all.
So, I saw Shutter Island last Friday (Feb. 19) and this Wednesday (Feb. 24), and haven't had time to write my review. Well, here it is.
Right from the beginning, Scorcese sets the tone of the film while playing John Adams's Fog Tropes right after the Paramount logo. The set up is a nice eerie feel to the film. We begin with seeing our protagonist, Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) on a boat on his way to Shutter Island. The music continues to prevail as the scene progresses, and Teddy and his partner Chuck (Ruffalo) enter the gates of the institution. Throughout the film, there are memories of war and dream sequences that are marvelously done by Scorcese. I think these scenes are the most memorable, and quite frankly some of the best scenes in a film that I've seen. The somber feel of them and the music that goes along is just spectacular. Oh yeah, you should take a listen to the soundtrack in its entirety, and you will have great recollections of the film. The film followed very closely to the novel, which was great. If you haven't read the book, go for it. If you liked the movie, you'll be even more impressed with the book. Even the second time seeing it, it was like it was the first time, it was stil lcaptivating. So, alas I got to see the movie that I was most anticipating for 2010, and was not dissapointed at all.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Review: An Education
Today I saw An Education (which makes my best picture nomination count 8/10)
Grade: A-
An Education is about a 16 year old school girl in London who suddenly becomes the part of a relationship that literally changes her life. The film starts off in school, were Jenny is an ordinary private schooled student who is being pushed into studying hard to get into Oxford. Her pushy father (played brilliantly by Alfred Molina) has her path set out for her. She will continue to get perfect grades in school, eventually leading her into Oxford. Jenny, like any normal teenager has other plans in mind. She'd much rather go to Paris and speak French and sing French music, quite like the dream of an American student wanting to go live in Manhattan and be a part of that culture. Little does Jenny know that her plans will soon change when she meets an older man, David (Peter Sarsgaard). Soon, the two begin going out with each other, and somehow, David gets Jenny's father to loosen up a bit and let Jenny live her life. Not all is as easy going as it seems with David, though. Jenny soon realizes she might not know exactly what she wants as life gets thrusted at her a mile a minute. Overall, this is a great film. Carey Mulligan is great in her first lead role, fitting Jenny perfectly.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Most anticipated for 2010
What am I looking forward to seeing this year? Read on and find out.
Shutter Island
This movie was originally supposed to be released in October, but got pushed back by Paramount on account of 'money problems'. I didn't buy that since they had just made hundreds of millions on Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen, but whatever. Anyway, so this is probably tied with the next movie on my list as the movie I'm most looking forward to seeing. If you have not read the book (or seen the trailers) yet, Shutter Island is about a couple of police that are sent to investigate the case of a missing patient at an insane asylum on Shutter Island. The book is fabulously written by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), and I assume this will be a faithful adaptation. It is directed by Martin Scorcese (The Departed, The Aviator, Gangs of New York, etc) and stars Leonardo DiCaprio. These two men make a fantastic pair every time they work together. This is gonna be released Feb. 19th. I'm going opening day, so I'll post a review the minute I get back. Oh yeah, and this story packs a HUGE surprise ending you won't see coming.
Inception
This movie is directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige), so it has that going for it. As you might know, Nolan used a lot of Imax cams for TDK, and I presume he did so for this movie as well. This movie revolved around a futuristic society where the government uses spies to go inside your head while you are dreaming, and they are able to see what you see. This is a blackmail story built up in the midst of it all. This also stars DiCaprio (probably gonna be a great year for him), Ellen Page (Juno), Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose, Nine), Joseph Gordon Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Michael Caine, etc. This is a great cast, and I don't think there is any way this movie could go wrong. It will be released July 16, and I personally will be counting down the days until then.
Other movies I'm looking forward to:
Alice in Wonderland
Iron Man 2
Robin Hood
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Official Oscar Nominees
Oscar noms were announced this morning. One of the most exciting days for a movie lover. Tonight, I'll list the nominees, and let you know who I think will be the lucky winners on March 7th. (These are all copied and pasted from imdb.com)
Best Picture
Avatar (2009): James Cameron, Jon Landau
The Blind Side (2009): Nominees to be determined
District 9 (2009): Peter Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham
An Education (2009): Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
The Hurt Locker (2008): Nominees to be determined
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Lawrence Bender
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up (2009): Jonas Rivera
Up in the Air (2009/I): Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman
There were a couple surprises here. I didn't think The Blind Side had any shot here. It was a good movie though, so it's not that bad of a choice. The other surprise was District 9. This movie was worthy of a nomination now that they expanded to 10 nominees, so good job D9. Other than those two, pretty much everyone else were epected to be nominated. My prediction: The Hurt Locker wins. It's really only between The Hurt Locker and Avatar, and I don't see the Academt simply going with Avatar because of the audience/box office factor.
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)
George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)
Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker (2008)
These five men were all expected to be on this list. These are the same five I predicted yesterday. Jeff Bridges wins by a landslide.
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)
Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)
Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)
Again, these are the five women I predicted yesterday. This one is a hard choice. Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep have been splitting the awards up to now. The Academy could go either way. Streep has the alum vote while Bullock gets the "finally a good enough performance in a drama" vote. If I had to bet, I'd go with Bullock (they should've given it to Streep last year for Doubt anyway).
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009/I)
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Again, five easy locks for nominations (I predicted all five yesterday as well). Christoph Waltz wins easily. Deservedly, too.
Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart (2009)
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
There were a couple surprises in this category also. Penelope Cruz hasn't been nominated much this year, but the Academy loves her (and understandably so) so it was a kind-of surprise. The real surprise was Maggie Gyllenhaal. She has been getting no love from awards season, so I did not exprect this at all, but good for her. Mo'Nique will walk away with this prize easily as well.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)
James Cameron for Avatar (2009)
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)
So Clint Eastwood did not get a nom here, which is kind of a surprise. The Academy loves him, but honestly, it wasn't his ultimate best work, so it wasn't a total shock. My pick here is Bigelow, and she should get it since she just won the Directors Guild award last week (and she truly deserves it). If there were an upset though, it would be Cameron for Avatar.
Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger (2009/I): Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up (2009): Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy
Solid nominees here. I think Mark Boal will walk away with this one, but Tarantino is very much in the race for it also. Either one could get it.
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education (2009): Nick Hornby
In the Loop (2009): Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Geoffrey Fletcher
Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
I have no clue what In the Loop is, so I'm not gonna consider that a contender. For this, I'm going with Reitman and Turner for Up in the Air. I think this is pretty much a lock.
Cinematography
Avatar (2009): Mauro Fiore
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009): Christian Berger
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009): Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker (2008): Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Robert Richardson
This could really go to any of these 5, well not HP. I would say the top three for this are Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds.
Best Original Score
Avatar (2009): James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker (2008): Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes (2009): Hans Zimmer
Up (2009): Michael Giacchino
This category has 4 previous nominees (and winners). I think Michael Giacchino will get it for Up. The score is fantastic, but I could also see the Academy going with Horner for Avatar (they loved Titanic too).
Best Foreign Language Film
Ajami (2009)(Israel)
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)(Germany)
El secreto de sus ojos (2009)(Argentina)
Un prophète (2009)(France)
La teta asustada (2009)(Peru)
I think the White Ribbon (the German one). A surprise here was Broken Embraces from Spain not being nominated. It was a very good film, so that was a little bit of a let down.
Best Animated Feature
Coraline (2009): Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog (2009): John Musker, Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells (2009): Tomm Moore
Up (2009): Pete Docter
Up wins easily here. IF there were an upset so, and that's a big if, it would be Fantastic Mr. Fox.
So, those are my pics for major categories. For the full list of nominees, visit www.imdb.com . I hope you enjoyed my thoughts, and I can't wait to see it unfold live on Oscar night, March 7th!
Best Picture
Avatar (2009): James Cameron, Jon Landau
The Blind Side (2009): Nominees to be determined
District 9 (2009): Peter Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham
An Education (2009): Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
The Hurt Locker (2008): Nominees to be determined
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Lawrence Bender
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness
A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up (2009): Jonas Rivera
Up in the Air (2009/I): Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman
There were a couple surprises here. I didn't think The Blind Side had any shot here. It was a good movie though, so it's not that bad of a choice. The other surprise was District 9. This movie was worthy of a nomination now that they expanded to 10 nominees, so good job D9. Other than those two, pretty much everyone else were epected to be nominated. My prediction: The Hurt Locker wins. It's really only between The Hurt Locker and Avatar, and I don't see the Academt simply going with Avatar because of the audience/box office factor.
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)
George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)
Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)
Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker (2008)
These five men were all expected to be on this list. These are the same five I predicted yesterday. Jeff Bridges wins by a landslide.
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)
Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)
Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)
Again, these are the five women I predicted yesterday. This one is a hard choice. Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep have been splitting the awards up to now. The Academy could go either way. Streep has the alum vote while Bullock gets the "finally a good enough performance in a drama" vote. If I had to bet, I'd go with Bullock (they should've given it to Streep last year for Doubt anyway).
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)
Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009/I)
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)
Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)
Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Again, five easy locks for nominations (I predicted all five yesterday as well). Christoph Waltz wins easily. Deservedly, too.
Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)
Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart (2009)
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
There were a couple surprises in this category also. Penelope Cruz hasn't been nominated much this year, but the Academy loves her (and understandably so) so it was a kind-of surprise. The real surprise was Maggie Gyllenhaal. She has been getting no love from awards season, so I did not exprect this at all, but good for her. Mo'Nique will walk away with this prize easily as well.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)
James Cameron for Avatar (2009)
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009/I)
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)
So Clint Eastwood did not get a nom here, which is kind of a surprise. The Academy loves him, but honestly, it wasn't his ultimate best work, so it wasn't a total shock. My pick here is Bigelow, and she should get it since she just won the Directors Guild award last week (and she truly deserves it). If there were an upset though, it would be Cameron for Avatar.
Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger (2009/I): Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up (2009): Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy
Solid nominees here. I think Mark Boal will walk away with this one, but Tarantino is very much in the race for it also. Either one could get it.
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education (2009): Nick Hornby
In the Loop (2009): Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Geoffrey Fletcher
Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
I have no clue what In the Loop is, so I'm not gonna consider that a contender. For this, I'm going with Reitman and Turner for Up in the Air. I think this is pretty much a lock.
Cinematography
Avatar (2009): Mauro Fiore
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009): Christian Berger
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009): Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker (2008): Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Robert Richardson
This could really go to any of these 5, well not HP. I would say the top three for this are Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds.
Best Original Score
Avatar (2009): James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker (2008): Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes (2009): Hans Zimmer
Up (2009): Michael Giacchino
This category has 4 previous nominees (and winners). I think Michael Giacchino will get it for Up. The score is fantastic, but I could also see the Academy going with Horner for Avatar (they loved Titanic too).
Best Foreign Language Film
Ajami (2009)(Israel)
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)(Germany)
El secreto de sus ojos (2009)(Argentina)
Un prophète (2009)(France)
La teta asustada (2009)(Peru)
I think the White Ribbon (the German one). A surprise here was Broken Embraces from Spain not being nominated. It was a very good film, so that was a little bit of a let down.
Best Animated Feature
Coraline (2009): Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog (2009): John Musker, Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells (2009): Tomm Moore
Up (2009): Pete Docter
Up wins easily here. IF there were an upset so, and that's a big if, it would be Fantastic Mr. Fox.
So, those are my pics for major categories. For the full list of nominees, visit www.imdb.com . I hope you enjoyed my thoughts, and I can't wait to see it unfold live on Oscar night, March 7th!
Monday, February 1, 2010
My 2010 Oscar predictions
Well since nominations are tomorrow, I figured I post my thoughts as to who I believe will be nominated.
We'll start with Best Picture and move down the list (all nominees are listed in Alphabetical order)
Best Picture:
An Education
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Best Actor in a Leading role:
Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
George Clooney-Up in the Air
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Morgan Freeman- Invictus
Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Meryl Streep- Julie and Julia
Gabourey Sidibe- Precious
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon- Invictus
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger
Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Stanley Tucci- The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Mo'Nique- Precious
Vera Farminga- Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air
Julianne Moore- A Single Man
Samantha Morton- The Messenger
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt L0cker
James Cameron- Avatar
Clint Eastwood- Invictus
Jason Reitman- Up in the Air
Quinten Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds
We'll start with Best Picture and move down the list (all nominees are listed in Alphabetical order)
Best Picture:
An Education
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Best Actor in a Leading role:
Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
George Clooney-Up in the Air
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Morgan Freeman- Invictus
Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Meryl Streep- Julie and Julia
Gabourey Sidibe- Precious
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon- Invictus
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger
Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Stanley Tucci- The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Mo'Nique- Precious
Vera Farminga- Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air
Julianne Moore- A Single Man
Samantha Morton- The Messenger
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt L0cker
James Cameron- Avatar
Clint Eastwood- Invictus
Jason Reitman- Up in the Air
Quinten Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds
Best Original Screenplay:
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
Best Adapted Screenplay:
District 9
An Education
Precious
A Single Man
Up in the Air
Those are my major category nomination thoughts. We'll see tomorrow who is actually nominated, and I will then discuss who I believe will win on Oscar night.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Recap: 2009
Well, now that 2009 has come and gone, I thought I would post some thoughts on my top films of 2009.
1. The Hurt Locker- I saw this movie late August 2009, and it really has stuck with me. It is definitely one of, if not the best war movie I have ever seen. This movie did not need big stars or a big budget to be successful (critically). The directing was phenomenal. Bigelow deserves the directing Oscar. Enough said. The scenes in this movie are truly captivating. The slow-mo shots are not overdone to nausea. Imo, this film deserves the Best Picture Oscar also. Did it make a lot of money? No. Does that make it any less of a great film? No. Rating:4 out of 4 stars.
2. Inglorious Basterds- I will admit, I was never a Tarantino fan. Until now. IB was probably the most original movie I saw this year. Yes, it used history as a backbone, but the witty, dramatic, chilling script made it so original. The first scene is probably one of the most emotional scenes ever put on screen. Christoph Waltz gave the performance of the year (out of any acting category). This man went from a Jew hating Nazi officer to a comic from scene to scene. Oh, and he did it quadrilingualy. Way to go Tarantino. Thank you for bringing movie goers an original experience. Rating: 3.75 out of 4 stars.
3. Up in the Air- Ladies and gentlemen, Jason Reitman has done it again. A couple years ago he brought us a witty, slang-talking pregnant teenager in Juno. At first UITA seemed to be a simple movie about a single, 40 something year old man who lives in the air. As the film goes on though, we notice that Ryan Bingham does have a heart somewhere in that suit. Clooney gives on of the best performances of his career because he actually shows deep emotion towards the end of the movie. He's not all charm talk and jokes, he's actually a dramatic actor. With two outstanding supporting performances from Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, UITA is yet another breath of fresh air. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars.
4. Avatar- After essentially a 13 year hiatus, James Cameron finally releases the epic that is Avatar. There was much hype and talk about this movie simply for its big budget. $350, 400, 500 million budget? Who knows? Who cares? This movie is cleaning house at the box office. Okay, time for the review. From the opening five minutes, you aren't sure what to think. Who is this guy talking? What is going on here? Slowly but surely, the movie begins to take shape. When Jake Sully first gets transferred to his avatar, something amazing happens on screen. Yes, this movie is mostly CGI, but who cares? These are actually actors with little lights on them to capture body movements. The transformations and similarities of the actors to their avatars is executed excellently. Pandora is a place you have never seen on screen, and even better in 3D. Oh yeah, if you are one of the few people in the world who haven't seen this movie. Go see it in 3D! You will not be disappointed. Seeing this movie for the images alone is worth it. James Horner composes yet another captivating score to support this imaginative film. Overall rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars.
5. Up- An animated film in your top 5 you ask? Yes. Up brought to the screen a great story that tied in a grown up story and made it family-friendly. This is probably one of the best Disney/Pixar films ever made. They have been on a roll lately, and I don't see an end in sight for them. Up is easily going to take home the Oscar for animated film, and will probably be nominated for Best Picture anyway. Rating: 3.25/4 stars.
Well, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed my first post. I will post my Oscar nomination predictions tomorrow (which will be announced Tuesday). Once announced, I will post my picks from the nominees. Soon to come- my reviews of other films I saw in 2009, and what I have seen so far in 2010, along with what I'm most anticipating for this year. Thanks for reading. Good night.
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