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

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? :/

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.

7:35 oh velvet, so many commercials. Hailee Steinfeld is so cute

8:02 yeah, nothing’s really happening. brb, trying to finish some scripts

8:11 lol, Jesse Eisenberg is ~precious~

8:24 now I’d want to watch a show about that choir. more heart, less autotune.

8:31 Cate Blanchett is a goddess. (i’ve been overusing that word. lol) beautiful dress but not liking that yellow stripe)

also, I forgot about Being Human. brb, downloading.

8:33 mom montage. Matthew Libatique’s mom is sooo Filipino.

8:35 NICOOOOOOLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! my other goddess has arrived<33333

8:37 also, aren’t you supposed to see everything first and live on these shows? I’m seeing more things in the internet. what the hell, red carpet show, you’re doing it wrong.

8:52 not so sure about Nicole’s dress. it looks bad in pictures. I wish she’d worn something colorful and stop washing herself out.

colors of the night: red and silver

9:00 just gave in and opened a bag of cheetos. oh show, when will you start?

9:05 30 mins more y’all. love natalie’s earrings and i just did something weird to my computer screen. come back taskbar!

9:11 all these red carpet interviews have been awkward. and james franco seems tired. dude, the show hasn’t even started yet

9:12 is Nicole’s hair getting lighter again? I hope its for a role. Gwyneth looks so flat

9:20 the dresses seem so blah this year.

michelle williams is rooting for the king’s speech? nooooo i refuse to believe it.

9:25 i love that they’re shooting inside the kodak theater now. gorgeous!

9:33 darn it velvet, you cut the first few moments of the montage!

love that they’re using tsn’s score.

YAAAAY!

9:37 anne hathaway is too cute

9:42 this opening is kinda slow

9:45 ugh i don’t care how much they hate it, i love montages. that scenic transition is just gorg

ART DIRECTION
predix (will/should/want/spoiler): tks/tks/inception/inception
winner: alice in wonderland

CINEMATOGRAPHY
predix: deakins/libatique/libatique/pfister
winner: pfister, inception

oh too bad for deakins. that’s 0/9 now. he’s got to get it someday :/

okay, love how they want to recapture old hollywood but that’s just hard to understand.

bet they run out of time again and the best actor/actress clips get cut. /unfair

hahaha. this is funny but stop wasting time

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
predix: leo/weaver/weaver/steinfeld
winner: leo!

so does that mean no upsets tonight? oh well.

SHE JUST SWORE! LOL GOOD LUCK WITH THAT LIVE TELECAST

BEST ANIMATION
predix: ts3/ts3/illusionist of httyd/ts3 (is there any point to this?)
winner: toy story 3 (yes totally writing that now)

lol, justin you are not banksy

honestly, those transitions are beautiful.

so I love that they didn’t chase Melissa Leo away with that dreaded music but they’re doing it to the “smaller” winners. unfair oscars is unfair. yep, toys story.

hopefully though, this is the last year of pixar’s reign thanks to next year’s cars 2. ugh.

10:14 velvet don’t you dare delay the telecast again because of commercials.

okay, too much white Brolin and Bardem
much prefer how they presented screenplay last year

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
predix: Sorkin/Sorkin/Sorkin/ uh, ts3?
winner: The Social Network. yay!

lol, Sorkin refuses to be shut up. you go Sorkin!

oh, best original screenplay gets cuter presentation. why?

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
predix: tks/tkaar/another year/tkaar
winner: tks

okay, so Seidler has that wonderful british charm. i like him.

so it’s 1/1 on tsn vs. tks. this is actually a nailbiting year for oscar. i was thinking last night that this is sort of a man is evil vs. man is good battle (a la Community 1×09) and that I’m firmly at the cynic’s corner.

10:27 lol, anne. lolololol, james.

ohmygosh i actually understand helen mirren’s french! it wasn’t that hard to get though

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE
predix: incendies/dogtooth/dogtooth/biutiful
winner: in a better world

lol, i actually have no idea about this category. i just love incendies as a title.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
predix: bale/garfieldhawkes/bale/rush
winner: bale

shave your face, bale! don’t you have a batman film to shoot? I’m getting flashbacks to Certified Copy. i only shave every other day and lol, o’russell was never known for being kind on set.

best score up next. *nervous* though i’m actually okay with any of them winning (except for rahman, of course)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
predix: zimmer/powell/reznor&ross/desplat
winner: tsn!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
in other news, i kinda suck at predicting. lol.
too bad about Desplat. but he’s the hardest working composer in hollywood. he’ll get it someday

BEST SOUND MIXING
predix: tsn/tsn/tsn/inception
winner: inception

okay, i keep mixing sound mixing and editing up. if i’m right, this is the overall sound design (as opposed to sound elements). if I’ve switched it in my head again. sorry the predix goes the other way around

EDITING
predix: inception/inception/inception/tsn
winner: inception

can’t really argue with inception though. the soundscape was one of the best things about it.

MAKE-UP
does anyone even care about this category? even the voters couldn’t care less. it’ll go to the wolfman, i suppose

LOTR SCORE FOR CATE BLANCHETT. HELL YEAH!

and it does go to the wolfman.

low batt. must get up and look for charger. noooo…

COSTUME DESIGN
predix: alice in wonderland/i am love/i am love/the tempest
winner: alice in wonderland

yeah, i really need to watch the tempest.

Kevin Spacey<3

best song performances. *still doesn't get toy story 3* and that's kind of an awful song performance, forgive me randy newman.

mandy moore and zachary levi!<3 though I can’t help but wish Mother Knows Best got nominated just so we get the awesomeness that is Donna Murphy on stage.

and why does mandy seem like she’s having a hard time. zachary levi i just might crush you. we’ll see

BEST SHORTS
I’m not even gonna pretend I can predict this category
Best docu winner: strangers no more
best live action winner: god of love

well at least a filipino finally won an oscar, albeit minor (Stefanie Walmsley, producer)

OMG i think this is the first time I’ve really love autotune. I’ll totally listen to “Does he own a shirt?” best thing to come out of the twilight series, imo

DOCUMENTARY
predix: inside job/inside job/inside job/ bansky?
winner: inside job

got another thing right. yay!

er, still not the best sherlock/watson of the decade (cumberbatch/freeman 4eva!!!!1)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
predix: inception/inception/inception/um what else is nominated?
winner: inception

would it be totally crazy if inception suddenly wins best picture? it’s leading in number of oscars so far. lol. Oscar, you just got inceptioned!

BEST EDITING
predix: tsn/tsn/tsn/er, tsn
winner: tsn, yay!

ugh. need to rethink the font i used for that Dexter teaser /personal dilemmas.

love this wardrobe change, anne.
i’m getting so hipster about Florence. love her but don’t want her to become too mainstream :/

the best song category is so uninspiring this year

ORIGINAL SONG
predix: ts3/tangled/tangled/tangled
winner: we belong together ugh

~in memoriam~

kathryn bigelow is so statuesque<3 jane campion should make another movie so she can win one too (as if)

BEST DIRECTOR
predix: fincher/fincher/fincher/hooper
winner: hooper

oh deer. get it next year with girl with a dragon tattoo fincher

…and the Oscars were going so well…

oh Oscars, plus points for putting Garfield behind Kidman so they’re in the same shot. i just may forgive you

ACTRESS
predix: portman/kidman/kidman/bening
winner: portman

no comment

ACTOR
predix: firth/gosling firth or bardem/firth/eisenberg? franco? so hard to pick this year
winner: all hail king firth

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!1!

BEST PICTURE
predix: tks/tsn/tsn/tsn
winner: tks

yeah, using tks speech as the basis of the montage isn’t a big clue on what’s gonna win.

oh well, there goes another year of Oscar disappointment. the feel good film wins and i’m feeling bitter, as usual. better luck next time. saying now that i’ll probably be rooting for Malick’s The Tree of Life. though why do i even bother?

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:

I WANTED TO LIKE YOU BUT…

I love Sofia Coppola’s aesthetic but Somewhere put me to sleep. Is it because the main character’s a guy this time? hmmm… Never Let Me Go didn’t really grab me in the first place, I’m not sure if reading the book first was a good idea. Ondine was promising yet disappointing. Christopher Nolan does it again. And by “again” I mean make me enjoy Inception and then snatch that enjoyment away with another pretentious ending that makes me go “whatever”. I hope he makes up for it in The Dark Knight Rises or else I’ll just be in the corner hugging tight my fond memories of Memento. And finally, what would The King’s Speech be without its’ performances? It was entertaining yet basic and manipulative. Especially now with its relentless campaign telling us how much it shows THE TRUE HUMAN SPIRIT. yeah, have you met any humans? I don’t think any film screamed LOVE ME! LOVE ME! more and that turns me off. case in point, this trailer:

I LIKE YOU BUT…

Oh Black Swan, I was rooting for you but you kinda lost me with your heavyhanded dichotomies. And it doesn’t help that every woman in the film (that mattered) was crazy and the only sane one felt more like a fantasy than an actual character. In “This is Brand New Information!”: Vincent Cassel plays the the hottest asshole ever to grace the screen.

The Illusionist was charming and beautifully illustrated and yet disturbingly cruel. Oh so cruel that I don’t think i can take watching it again without wanting to punch my computer screen. I almost did punch my computer screen actually. In any other year this would probably make my top 7 for that exact reason but even just thinking about how unfair and stupid the circumstances are makes me rage.

Catherine Breillat’s Bluebeard is the best fairy tale adaptation of the year (shhh! I haven’t seen her more recent Sleeping Beauty yet), infusing its heroine with the perfect amount of innocence and sly knowing. I just have a shallow wish that it had better production values. (And can I pause for a second and just say that I’m loving yet dreading the amount of fairy tale adaptations in production? I just hope they’re more Angela Carter than Stephenie Meyer)

LOVED IT but will probably not watch it again therefore I can’t really call it a “fave”

The Fighter charmed me inspite of my hate for boxing. In the meantime, I am Love is my pick for most gorgeous film of the year but I’m not sure how much I’ll like it if it wasn’t so pretty. Tilda Swinton remains a goddess.

~

FAVORITE PERFORMANCES

Marilou Lopes-Benites as Catherine and Lola Creton as Marie-Catherine, Bluebeard

I wish there was video support from youtube but these pictures will have to do. The glee with which Catherine terrorizes her older sister is just (for the lack of a better term) so cute. Does she get nightmares, I wonder from filming that bloody chamber? In the meantime, her counterpoint in the story, Marie-Catherine is quite simply luminous. Or I may just be blinded by my love for her character. I only wish horror movies had more heroines like this.

Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel, Tangled

I may be biased because my love for Donna Murphy (and her fabulous voice) knows no bounds but Mother Knows Best Reprise is probably my most favorite moment in film this year. Well, at least it’s the moment that never fails to give me goosebumps no matter how many times I watch it. This is why you hire Broadway stars to sing in musicals, Hollywood!

Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, The Social Network

Oh I’m trying not to post the many highlights of this performance (Don’t fish eat other fish? The marlins and the trout! or Sorry! My Prada’s at the cleaners! Along with my hoodie and my ‘fuck you’ flip-flops, you pretentious douchebag!) but with this, he just shimmied his way into my heart and continues to be the best damn thing in every movie he’s in. don’t ruin it, Spider-man

Nicole Kidman as Becca and Dianne Wiest as Nat, Rabbit Hole

I’ve been trying to write a coherent description but let me just throw these adjectives at you instead: subtle, nuanced, layered, honest. Dianne Wiest is still god and Nicole Kidman is still the best actress in Hollywood.

Ryan Gosling as Dean, Blue Valentine

Yeah, I was never really a fan of Ryan Gosling (sorry. didn’t like The Notebook and wasn’t really interested in his other movies) but now, oh now I’m converted. How he skillfully keeps the balance between love and infuriation with his character is just amazing. Yeah, he’s a loser but you can’t help but root for him even though you know that you won’t be caught dead married to a guy like him in real life. The final scene is just heartbreaking.

~

TECHNICAL FAVES AND RANDOM AWARDS

SCORE: The Social Network
Honorable Mentions: Black Swan, Inception, True Grit, Blue Valentine, The Illusionist

MISE-EN-SCENE: I am Love
Honorable Mentions: Black Swan, Somewhere, The Illusionist, Inception

SCREENPLAY: The Social Network

Best Marketing: Black Swan
Honorable Mentions: Inception, The Social Network

Best Ending: The Ghost Writer
Worst Ending: Inception

Favorite film-i-should-have-seen-last-year: A Single Man

Favorite TV performance of the year: Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

Favorite Moments in Film: Mother Knows Best Reprise, Tangled
Honorable Mentions: Eduardo’s shimmy, The Social Network; Stalking the chef, I am Love; that brick in your pocket, Rabbit Hole; Nina sprouts wings, Black Swan; The beginning/end of a marriage, Blue Valentine; anything involving the sisters, The Fighter; speaking of ogresses, Bluebeard, Sharlto Copley helicopter spinning, The A-Team

Villain of the Year: Mother Gothel, Tangled
Heroine of the Year: Marie-Catherine, Bluebeard

Hottie of the Year: Vincent Cassel, Black Swan
Honorable Mentions: Alexander Siddig, Cairo Time; Paul Bettany’s abs, Legion; Patrick Wilson’s behind, Morning Glory; William Shimell’s voice, Certified Copy

un-favorite movie of the year: Burlesque, for its laughable unsexiness
honorable mention: the snoozefest that was Robin Hood, the stiff and unmagical Avatar: The Last Airbender

…to be continued with the actual list favorite films and tv shows of the year (as soon as I have time to make picspams. haha.)

the closest I'll get to touching Tony Leung's hands

But first a visit to the Avenue of Stars.  I immediately went looking for Tony Leung’s star because he’s TONY FREAKING LEUNG [Chiu-wai]!!!!

whoops, hello foot!

Wong Kar-Wai’s star is directly in front of the Bruce Lee statue. Horrible location as there’s always a crowd gathered and people stepping on him. Poor Wong Kar-Wai. But I managed to grab this quick picture. Also, it seems like he’s the only director on the Avenue of Stars. Or maybe I just missed the others.

tony leung again

I was actually hoping that Takeshi Kaneshiro had a star but was disappointed. Oh well, I’ll settle for his ads along the MTR station walkways.

let's pretend this is california restaurant

So here’s where I start to look for actual film locations. 2 were located in the Lan Kwai Fong district. First stop, California restaurant. Except I never really saw it. Instead, I saw this big fitness center called California so I took a picture of it instead just in case. lol, I was probably just walking down the wrong road…

let's pretend this is the 7-11 that was formerly Midnight Express

…with 3 friends who never saw Chungking Express and therefore I didn’t want to waste their time getting lost in Hong Kong. I had planned to also look for the second location: the 7-11-formerly-known-as-Midnight-Express but I couldn’t find the street and gave up before I could drag my friends further along. So I took a picture of this random 7-11 because it was beside a gorgeous old street stairs that reminded me of In the Mood for Love.

chungking mansions

But my efforts were not wasted. The easiest location to find was the Chungking Mansions and here it is! Yay!

Don’t worry Chungking Express, I’ll get you better next time. And if you can arrange for me to bump into Takeshi Kaneshiro or Tony Leung along the way…haha… ;D

]]> http://bittergrace.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/walking-chungking-express/feed/ 3 bittergrace tony leung star wong kar wai P1030124 P1030129 P1030130 P1030141 http://bittergrace.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/compare-and-contrast/ http://bittergrace.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/compare-and-contrast/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:21:19 +0000 Ayn Marie Dimaya http://bittergrace.wordpress.com/?p=1749 ]]> 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.

Believe me when I tell you that this will be the best new series come 2011.

also, Sean Bean!

mmm…

also, needs more Tyrion!

also, argh, why so far away 2011!

also, GRRM needs to finish Book 5 now.

one word: yay!!!!!

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.

the grounded fireflies are little stars that are dying
returning to the earth i can hear them crying
like christmas bulbs that i swallowed
slept in a tree that’s gone hollow
and never a brittle wintertime
baby you are my sunshine
my sunshine
please don’t take my sunshine away

So listen listen listen. I know I will.