2011: A Year in Film Predictions

Remember this? Well lets see how I did

Best Picture
1. J. Edgar, Clint Eastwood
2. The Ides of March, George Clooney
3. War Horse, Steven Spielberg
4. The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
5. Hugo Cabret, Martin Scorsese
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher
7. Young Adult, Jason Reitman
8. The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd
9. A Dangerous Method, David Cronenberg
10. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Stephen Daldry

nominated film in my alternate list:
Moneyball, Bennett Miller

I missed:
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
The Help, Tate Taylor

5/9, not bad. XD

Best Director
1. Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar
2. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
3. George Clooney, The Ides of March
4. Steven Spielberg, War Horse
5. David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I missed:
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

lol, in all fairness this was a gamble. I thought they’d go for Spielberg over Scorsese because, y’know, war movies…I’m glad I kept my biased Malick glasses on. haha.

Best Actor
1. Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
2. Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
3. Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method
4. Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life Moneyball
5. Johnny Depp, The Rum Diary

nominees in alternates:
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus
George Clooney, The Descendants
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I missed:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Demian Bichir, A Better Life

I just didn’t see The Artist coming. haha. and Poor Leo, i guess he’s not winning an Oscar anytime soon

Best Actress
1. Meryl Streep, Iron Lady
2. Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
3. Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
4. Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

I missed:
Viola Davis, The Help

my best guess yet! haha. Though Tilda got shafted yet again.

/yes i’m suddenly alive. the Oscars have that effect on me. Tune in for more flailing. maybe ;D

24 January 2012 | Categories: film | 1 Comment »

2011: A Year in Film Prologue

Yeah, I suppose I should finish my 2010 list first but Photoshop is mostly disagreeing with me. So. I thought it’d be fun to see how well I can predict this year’s Oscar race.

After all, it’s a very exciting year for film with the return of a LOT of quote/unquote great directors: Scorsese, Spielberg, Cronenberg, Fincher, Eastwood, Almodovar, Soderbergh, Allen, Crowe, Payne, Von Trier, Salles, Polanski; Academy favorites Daldry, Reitman, Clooney; indie darlings Tomas Alfredson, Duncan Jones, Lynne Ramsay, Andrea Arnold, Cary Fukunaga, Kelly Reichardt, Steve McQueen and my personal loves Terrence Malick, Sarah Polley, Tarsem Singh and Wong Kar Wai. Just looking at that list of names makes me very happy. And I may even be forgetting a few. At the very least, the director race is going to be a nail-biter. Thankfully, no Tom Hoopers here. but of course, that’s debatable. XD

okay, so. exciting year. (as always, there are a few films with uncertain release dates–Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Polanski’s God of Carnage [it's been retitled to Carnage but bleh. this title's better] might be pushed to 2012 but we’ll see. In the meantime, let’s just assume they’re all getting released in time). I’ll just do the major ones namely: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress because I’ve been trying to make up my mind about screenplay and it’s just not happening. lol. anyway, here’s goes…

Best Picture
1. J. Edgar, Clint Eastwood
2. The Ides of March, George Clooney
3. War Horse, Steven Spielberg
4. The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
5. Hugo Cabret, Martin Scorsese
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher
7. Young Adult, Jason Reitman
8. The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd
9. A Dangerous Method, David Cronenberg
10. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Stephen Daldry

alternates:
We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay
On the Road, Walter Salles
Moneyball, Bennett Miller
Super 8, JJ Abrams
God of Carnage, Roman Polanski
Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin

movies I’d want to be nominated but probably won’t:
Take this Waltz, Sarah Polley
Meek’s Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt
Shame, Steve McQueen
Melancholia, Lars von Trier
Wuthering Heights, Andrea Arnold
The Grand Master, Wong Kar Wai

Some internet predictions are already putting Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life as this year’s Best Picture front-runner but has the Academy ever loved atmospheric, existentialist pieces? They’re never really kind to movies they don’t understand. But at the very least it’ll get nominations (and hopefully wins?) for the long overdue Alexandre Desplat (original score) and Emmanuelle Lubezki (cinematography.) I mean Children of Men and The New World are two of the most memorably shot films in history, if not the best of the decade. And have you seen the trailer? Gorgeous isn’t a good enough word to describe it.

other possible nominations: best original screenplay, best director, best supporting actor (Sean Penn), best supporting actress (Jessica Chastain), best visual effects (rumor has it there’ll be dinosaurs y’all. Dinosaurs!)

~

Best Director
1. Clint Eastwood, J. Edgar
2. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
3. George Clooney, The Ides of March
4. Steven Spielberg, War Horse
5. David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

alternates:
er, see the intro of this post

people I’d want to be nominated but probably won’t:
women :/

gosh, it was almost impossible to pick. I almost want to predict Daldry but with so many names, his record of Oscar noms will probably be broken. I’m crossing my fingers that they finally give Fincher the Oscar as an apology for him losing to Hooper (it still hurts, dammit!) but then it means Malick won’t get it. oh, the dilemma.

~

Best Actor
1. Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
2. Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
3. Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method
4. Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
5. Johnny Depp, The Rum Diary

alternates:
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus
George Clooney, The Descendants
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

people I’d want to be nominated but probably won’t:
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Michael Fassbender, Jane Eyre
Michael Fassbender, X-men First Class (lol, jk.)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai, The Grand Master

It’s the year of Michael Fassbender, obviously, with 5 movies coming out he has to be nominated for at least one thing. Everything points to a nod for playing Jung in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method (likewise his fellow actors Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley.) I’m guessing right now he’ll be lead but we’ll see. Of course the race will probably be between the “overdue”-but-at-least-he’s-not-a-grieving-widower-this-time Leonardo DiCaprio and the-greatest-actor-of-his-generation-who-was-ridiculously-snubbed-last-year Ryan Gosling. Also, Brad Pitt may be actually be supporting but it seems that they’re pushing his face more on the marketing rather than Sean Penn’s. I don’t blame them really.

Best Actress
1. Meryl Streep, Iron Lady
2. Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
3. Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
4. Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

alternates:
Keira Knightley, A Dangerous Method
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Rachel Weisz, The Whistleblower
Sandra Bullock, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

person I’d want to be nominated but probably won’t:
Abbie Cornish, W.E.

Is it wishful thinking putting Tilda Swinton up there? Her best work’s been consistently snubbed the past 2 years (Julia, I am Love). But she’s TILDA SWINTON so she probably doesn’t need another Oscar anyway. The front-runner is obviously Meryl Streep with Glenn Close, um, close behind. Rooney Mara has a role of a lifetime in Lisbeth Salander so unless she’s epically bad at it then she’ll probably get at least a nom. Michelle Williams actually has two other films coming out: Meek’s Cutoff and Take This Waltz but playing Manilyn Monroe seems more baity.

And speaking of snubs that still hurt, Abbie Cornish needs better movies. Give her better movies, Hollywood!

Etc…

Tarsem Singh has always made visually stunning films (The Cell, The Fall) so maybe Immortals will finally have the Academy taking notice. I’ll be glad if Sarah Polley at least gets a screenplay nod for Take this Waltz. Another movie I’d like to get a screenplay nod: Crazy, Stupid, Love. If Hollywood stops being ageist then Christopher Plummer (Beginners) and Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) have the supporting race in the bag. And finally, I’m hoping Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grand Master wins Best Foreign Film. But that’s just me being biased. XD

p.s. forgot to say NO PIXAR!!!! #notafan, lol. So far Rango’s the front-runner but I don’t really know much about the animation race this year aside from the fact that it’s basically all sequels! Where’s Miyazaki when you need him? :/

3 April 2011 | Categories: film | 3 Comments »

Oscars Live Blog:

7:28 ugh what time is it? anyhoo, hopes:

that TKS doesn’t sweep though Desplat should finally get his Oscar
that Deakins gets his Oscar too
that Kidman pulls an upset
that BP/BD splits with TKS/TSN
or willingly, that TSN wins BP

can’t think of any more right now.

(more…)

28 February 2011 | Categories: film | 8 Comments »

2010: A Year in Film Part 1

Doing this so Richard will stop asking me. lol, kidding but tradition, you know. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time making my favorite films list this year. Is it because most of the things I loved this year have been on television instead? Or because looking back at my old lists, only a few of them remain true “favorites” and it makes me wary of naming names? Or because I feel like I haven’t really watched enough (Animal Kingdom, Another Year, White Material, Dogtooth, Ang Ninanais, Uncle Boonmee…among others) even though I know I can’t watch everything.

Also, I feel like my attention span with movies is getting shorter and shorter. I’ve always been guilty of fastforwarding through boring parts just to get to the end (see Filipino rom coms). But now that I stopped buying/lending [often pirated] DVDs and started downloading movies instead and watching them on my computer, I find I have to pause once in a while to check the internet or keep my hands busy with Photoshop. Not to mention, I’ve fallen asleep during at least 3 movies this year and that rarely happens. Am I just generally tired or have I developed some form of ADD?

So it’s basically been a weird year for me. And since I can’t seem to make up my mind, I’ll start with the problematic films first:

(more…)

28 February 2011 | Categories: film | 3 Comments »

Compare and Contrast

Let the Right One In (International Trailer)

Quiet, subtle, creepy…the romance is so beautifully blended with the horror, just like in the actual film.

Let Me In (International Trailer)

Noisy, brash and just screams HORROR in a way that isn’t horrifying. The fact that it’s about two lost lonely children finding each other is lost in all that action. Ugh. That said, I do love the morse code at the end.

2 July 2010 | Categories: film | 2 Comments »

Coming Soon

i’m sorry i haven’t been blogging. i just haven’t felt like it recently. so while i wait for my blogging muse, here’s a poster for sofia coppola’s new film…

one word: yay!!!!!

13 June 2010 | Categories: film | 1 Comment »

2009: A Year in Film Part 7

you thought it was over? It’s so not. Well, actually, I’m just bored so here’s my extremely biased DREAM OSCAR BALLOT

Best Picture

The Hurt Locker
Avatar
The Blind Side Bright Star
District 9
An Education
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Really, this was not the year to expand the category. Yes, I’m keeping Avatar there because in spite of all it’s faults storywise, it’s still larger than life as a movie and deserves its spot.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire Jane Campion – Bright Star
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air Neill Blomkamp – District 9
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds

My feelings for Jason Reitman went from like (Thank You for Smoking) to mild dislike (Juno) to why are you such a douche? (basically how he looked angry every time Up in the Air didn’t win something). I mean, James Cameron is a douche but he’s a an extremely talented (just not at scriptwriting) douche. Precious was just a mess to me. And Jane Campion should have won years ago for The Piano and should have been nominated again this year.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
George Clooney – Up in the Air Sharlto Copley – District 9
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Morgan Freeman – Invictus Michael Fassbender – Hunger
Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker Sam Rockwell – Moon

YES, CHRISTOPH WALTZ! THE REST OF THE ACTORS IN INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS WERE SUPPORTING HIM!!!!! /capslock. haha. Hunger (and Michael Fassbender’s performance) missed most of last year’s awards season, I was hoping it would catch up this year (like the Hurt Locker, which was so 2008) but it didn’t. The actor race, as usual was close but I wish there was more love for Sci-Fi especially, the two best sci-fi films this year: Moon and District 9 which were carried in the extremely competent shoulders of Rockwell and Copley. No I haven’t seen A Single Man yet but I’m extremely biased towards Colin Firth so he stays.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Helen Mirren – The Last Station Tilda Swinton – Julia
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia Charlotte Gainsbourg – Antichrist

Sorry Meryl, I love you but this year also had so many strong female performances. I haven’t seen Julia yet but from the internet buzz it was the best performance of the year.

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds Paul Schneider – Bright Star
Matt Damon – Invictus Jackie Earle Haley – Watchmen
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger Anthony Mackie – The Hurt Locker
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station Peter Capaldi – In the Loop
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones Stanley Tucci – Julie & Julia

So I really didn’t agree with supporting actor this year. haha. And if I have to keep Stanley Tucci there (because I love Stanley Tucci) it would have to be for Julie & Julia and not his laughable serial killer in The Lovely Bones (Jackie Earle Haley did it better in Little Children. just saying.)

Best Supporting Actress

Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Penélope Cruz – Nine as Carla Albanese Marion Cotillard – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air Julianne Moore – A Single Man
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air Rosamund Pike – An Education

I really didn’t want to cross out Maggie Gyllenhaal because I love her and she’s been ignored by the academy for too long, but I hear the performance itself was crappy. Also, Julianne Moore needs an Oscar and soon.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger Bright Star
A Serious Man
Up

BRIGHT STAR IS NOT ADAPTED, K? /capslock. Sorry, the Bright Star snubbing brings out the capslock. haha.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
District 9
An Education Fantastic Mr. Fox
In the Loop
Up in the Air Coraline

Oh, that was hard.

Best Animated Feature

Up – Pete Docter
Coraline – Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog – Ron Clements and John Musker Ponyo – Hayao Miyazaki
The Secret of Kells – Tomm Moore

I love Disney like every other person but The Princess and the Frog was just so disappointing…

Best Original Score

Up – Michael Giacchino
Avatar – James Horner Moon – Clint Mansell
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker – Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes – Hans Zimmer A Single Man – Abel Korzienowski

WHY DO YOU KEEP IGNORING CLINT MANSELL, ACADEMY? REQUIEM FOR A DREAM! THE FOUNTAIN! MOON! GET IT TOGETHER VOTERS! /capslock. haha. I love Alexandre Desplat too much to strike his name out so Sherlock Holmes had to go (though I liked the score too)

Best Original Song

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from Crazy Heart
“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog “All is Love” from Where the Wild Things Are
“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog “You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger” from An Education
“Loin de Paname” from Paris 36 “Other Father’s Song” from Coraline
“Take it All” from Nine

Again, nothing against Disney but the academy’s choices for Best Original Song  always makes me want to shoot myself. I wish I could put something from New Moon but the songs though awesome (Thom Yorke! Lykke Li!) had a sort of disconnect with the film itself. So even though I love Hearing Damage and Possibility, I can’t really put them here.

Best Cinematography

Avatar – Mauro Fiore Bright Star – Greg Fraiser
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Bruno Delbonnel Antichrist – Anthony Dod Mantle
The Hurt Locker – Barry Ackroyd Nine – Dion Beebe
Inglourious Basterds – Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon – Christian Berger

okay, hard year for Cinematography too. BUT DEAR ACADEMY, HOW COULD YOU IGNORE BRIGHT STAR? THOSE FREAKING BUTTERFLIES WERE BREATHTAKING! MUCH MORE THAN ANYTHING IN AVATAR. /capslock. haha.

Best Art Direction

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine Inglourious Basterds
Sherlock Holmes Bright Star
The Young Victoria Moon

I don’t really disagree strongly with this but it’s like they’re just picking out period dramas without thinking. Also Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox need more love. After all, animation is designed too.

Best Visual Effects

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

was visual effects only ever 3? for that I propose to add:

Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are

They really should expand this category. Watchmen for perfecting, at least visually, the graphic novel (It needs minus points for that Silk Spectre costume, though. haha.)

okay, that’s all the categories I care about. also, I’m tired now. haha.

11 March 2010 | Categories: film | Leave A Comment »

2009: A Year in Film Part 6

(this is a favorites list so bias affects and things may change given a few months but for now…)

Honorable Mentions

If not for the crappy ending, this would have placed higher. Good thing Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson were luminous in this film. (And yes, so were Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper and Alfred Molina. haha.)

Neil Gaiman bias aside…really…but I guess this does exist because of the awesomeness that is Neil Gaiman, doesn’t it? haha. I just didn’t like the added token “guy” character. Coraline was awesome enough in the books by herself, they didn’t really need to write that in.

It’s rare to have so much fun in comedic films anymore. Most of it’s just trying hard or under the misapprehension that the audience is filled with idiots. But this is smart, cool and fantastic. Also, Rachel Weisz is so funny, who knew? That train scene (where she tells Adrien Brody he’s constipated in his soul? Awesome!)

…AND NOW MY FAVORITE FILMS OF THE YEAR

With so many sci-fi films this year, it was hard to choose but this really stands out: from Clint Mansell’s sparse, haunting score, Sam Rockwell’s all-or-nothing performance to the beautiful Production Design that emphasizes the isolation in and of the moon.

I know, I know, this was last year but it didn’t make it in time then so I had to add it now. Though honestly, I wasn’t really into it as I thought I would be (being a Charlie Kauffman film and all) until the second half, that is. Diane Wiest should always play god, that’s all.

so, um, half-naked Michael Fassbender aside, in the year of a lot of coming-of-age stories (An Education, Precious, Adventureland, etc…), this was my favorite. Mia is the exact opposite of An Education’s Jenny–foulmouthed, poor, not very talented and woefully uneducated, at best ignored by her mother and at worst abused and abuses–yet also very similar in that she just wants to escape the life that everyone thinks she’s going to live. When someone finally pays attention to her, her mother’s kind and very attractive boyfriend Connor, you know things aren’t going to end up happily ever after. And yet when Mia takes that leap, you just want her to soar.

This is probably a sentimental choice, as I see all the films faults (beginning with its highly romanticized portrayal of history) but I love it all the same. It’s refreshing to see a story about a woman where love is not the be all and end all–not for the lack of willing suitors (played by the very attractive, both of them, Max Minghella and Oscar Isaac). Because you know, in this world (also known as Hollywood), a career woman like Rachel Weisz’s mathematician/philosopher Hypatia is usually protrayed as cruel, dried-up stick in the mud. Mira Nair’s Amelia (also released this year) is similarly not about a woman finding love but that had Hilary Swank in it and I just can’t stand her so anyway, here’s to more films like these in the future.

You just say bingo. Haha. But really, Quentin Tarantino hit the jackpot when he found Christoph Waltz who quite simply put,  owns this film. When he’s on screen, you just can’t look away. And yeah, the rest of the cast were great too.  Say whatever you want about Quentin Tarantino and his homage-heavy, sorta messy  films…he know how to have fun and it’s hard not to get into the spirit of his irreverence.  So kudos to Quentin and Christoph for their worlds colliding, or their universe expanding, or their ship sailing off to the sunset or whatever other metaphor that Monsieur Waltz has thought of this whole awards season.

So, they actually hired cursing experts to help them write the screenplay. Truly. It’s just unrelenting, the insults they throw at each other and no one misses a beat. It’s one of those films that you’d want to quote for the rest of your life, except that someone will probably have to wash your mouth with soap. And it’s probably because of my Anglophilia that this places so high but suck it, you’re in my blog. Haha. Peter Capaldi is <3! Tom Hollander is <3! Never was any government more entertaining. So I’ll leave you with the words of Malcolm Tucker “Sorry, sorry, I know that you disapprove of swearing so I’ll sort that out. You are a boring F, star, star, cunt!”

Oh, Bright Star, where do I begin? The gorgeous cinematography? The exquisite costumes? The beautiful words? Those impossible butterflies? How everything comes together like visual poetry, to form the experience of love and how you have to luxuriate in it again and again. In the center of it all, the heart-wrenching performance of Abbie Cornish who breathes Fanny Brawne to life, poignantly, like every young girl in the pangs of first love who delights and despairs from one moment to the next. And yes, this does end with despair because we all know John Keats dies young.  But they and we, will always have this Bright Star,  stedfast and unchangeable and unforgettable.

8 March 2010 | Categories: film | 9 Comments »

2010 Oscars Sorta Live Blogging

so I’m awake at 7AM for the first time in…haha, well…and all for Oscar, which I’m honestly half-dreading this year. Oh well

7:03AM

That red carpet/paparazzi wall shot is gorgeous.

Zac Efron on the other hand, is not. hmpft.

7:07AM

wishes:
Actor: Colin Firth (just bias. haha.)
Actress: Carey Mulligan
Director: Bigelow

yeah, so very few wishes this year

7:21AM

Oh my gosh, I’m bored. O_o

(more…)

8 March 2010 | Categories: film | Leave A Comment »

2009: A Year in Film Part 5

TECHNICAL FAVES

*warning extreme bias ahead. haha.

ORIGINAL SONG: Lykke Li, Possibility from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Honorable Mention:  Karen O and the Kids, All is Love (Where the Wild Things Are)

SOUNDTRACK:  (500) Days of Summer
Honorable Mention: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

ORIGINAL SCORE: Mark Romanek, Bright Star
Honorable Mention: Clint Mansell, Moon

MISE-EN-SCENE: Greig Fraser & Janet Patterson, Bright Star
Honorable Mentions: Antichrist, Nine, Coraline, Inglourious Basterds

VISUAL EFFECTS: Watchmen
Honorable Mention: Avatar

SCREENPLAY: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin & Tony Roche, In the Loop
Honorable Mentions: Bright Star, Inglourious Basterds

SPECIAL AWARDS

Favorite Non-Movie: Dollhouse Season 2
Honorable Mentions: Generation Kill, Torchwood: Children of Earth

Un-Favorite Film of the Year: New York, I Love You

Snooze-fest of the Year: Dorian Gray

Horrible Horror: Shake, Rattle and Ro11
Honorable Mention: Town Creek

Best Ending: Synecdoche, New York

Worst Ending of an Otherwise Great Film: An Education

Favorite Moment in Film: “That’s a bingo!”, Inglourious Basterds

…so I’m trying to finish this before Oscars tomorrow but I probably won’t. haha.

7 March 2010 | Categories: film | Leave A Comment »

2009: A Year in Film Part 4

FAVORITE PERFORMANCES

I’ll begin with the actors that grabbed my attention this year, some are actors that I probably knew existed but watched for the first time while some just debuted this year (excluding the ones in the actual top 7 list):

Max Minghella, Agora
Oscar Isaac, Agora
Sharlto Copley, District 9
Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank
Andrew Garfield, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

They’ve made an impression and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their work.

Runners-Up

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist
Ben Whishaw, Bright Star
Paul Schneider, Bright Star
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Diane Wiest, Synechdoche New York

Special Mention: Best Performance by a Non-Person

Topper the Cat, Bright Star

stolen from ohnotheydidnt

Special Mention: Best Performance on TV

Enver Gjokaj as “Tony/Victor”, Dollhouse

and now for the memorable performances of the year…

7. the ensemble cast of In The Loop (Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, James Gandolfini, etc…) as the idiots who run the UK & US government

6. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach in Watchmen

5. Michael Fassbender as Connor in Fish Tank

4. Rachel Weisz as Hypatia in Agora and also, Penelope in The Brothers Bloom

3.  Rosamund Pike as Helen in An Education

2. Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds

1. Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star

27 February 2010 | Categories: film | 5 Comments »

2009: A Year in Film Part 3

FAVORITE POSTERS:

Special Mention: TV posters

7. The Ugly Truth – straight to the somewhat obvious point

6. District 9 – quickly introduces their world

5. Where the Wild Things Are – oh i see you peeping there, you wild thing

4. Moon – gorgeously vintage

3. In the Loop – satirical take on the Obama poster

2. Antichrist – creepy and perfect

1. Coraline – a series of alphabet posters, all with lovely rhymes

20 February 2010 | Categories: film | 2 Comments »

2009: A Year in Film Part 2

FAVORITE TRAILERS

First, let me begin with a special mention because I haven’t watched the film yet but the trailer is just gorgeous. You know I’m talking about A Single Man:

Anyway, on to the list. Just 4 5 this year. As much as I wanted to make it 7, the 3 2 would just be filling space:

5. In the Loop

EDIT: didn’t see this version until after I finished this list. haha. it’s so monty python, I love it!

4. (500) Days of Summer (Teaser)

3. Bright Star (International)

2. Where the Wild Things Are (Theatrical)

1. Watchmen (Teaser)

very similar trailers, all. haha. what can I say? I’m a sucker for good songs/scoring.

Next: Favorite Posters…

20 February 2010 | Categories: film | Leave A Comment »

2009: A Year in Film Part 1

I’ve given up on A Single Man leaking in the next few days so it’s time for the list to begin!

See the participating films below…

(more…)

20 February 2010 | Categories: film | Leave A Comment »