I hope everyone enjoyed my post about the worst looking gals on Oscars’ Night yesterday. Now let’s move on to the best looking ladies on Oscars’ night. Last I said previously, I thought that every actress looked at least semi-decent. No one attempted to pull off looking like an exotic bird or a cosmopolitan alien. No reports of anyone faceplanting or having a “wardrobe malfunction” either. Pretty miraculous, looking at some of those dresses. As you can see, I have never understood the fascination with really fancy and overly bold dresses. Call me boring but to me, elegant and understated is always the way to go and it’s nice to see that most of the ladies went that way on Sunday.
Cream of the Crop:
Some said it's too simple and boring. Well it's better to look like Kate Winslet rather than look like an ostrich that fell into a can of paint!
Anna Kendrick and her flesh tone dress. Delicious.
The perennially elegant Elizabeth Banks was absolutely stunning and she is funny to boot!
Unlike some, I thought Carey Mulligan looked fine. It helps that she is as cute as a pie.
Lovely Rachel McAdams was the stunner of the night in a really simple, classy and low key way as usual. That's how it's done people!
Penelope Cruz because Jose will hunt me down and axe me if I don't mention her. The blogosphere still can't grasp the fact that you didn't rank her #1 on your list, Jose!
Yes, Kristen Stewart is on both Best and Worst Looking lists. See here, she is forcing almost a ... smile. Why so constipated? Relax and enjoy the good time, who knows how long it will last!
So what do you guys, gals think? Who were the best looking actresses at the Oscars?
HBO’s Rome adapted for the silver screen (First Showing)
Casting News:
Robert DeNiro cast in Neil Burger’s The Dark Fields (Variety)
Hugh Jackman cast in civil rights movie Selma (USA Today)
Jonah Hill replaces Demetri Martin in Moneyball (The Playlist)
Rachel McAdams joins Owen Wilson, Marion Cottilard in Woody Allen’s next film (THR): A few weeks ago, I wrote about Owen Wilson teaming up with Red’s beloved Marion Cottilard in this Woody Allen flick and look who is joining them! First Terrence Malick’s movie a few weeks ago, now Woody Allen’s, great to see Rachel get to work with some legendary directors.
Benicio Del Toro cast in crime drama Making Jack Falcone (Deadline)
Rachel Nichols cast in Marcus Nispel’s Conan (Latino Review): Rachel Nichols was the only reason to watch GI Joe and probably the only reason to see Conan and I’m not speaking in terms of acting chops here…
Lenny Kravitz cast in Lee Daniels’ Selma (The Playlist)
Liam Hemsworth cast in Arabian Nights (Heat Vision)
Anna Faris cast in comedy What’s your Number? (Variety)
Jessica Lucas cast in Big Momma’s House 3 (Variety)
Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Terrence Howard, Charlie Hunnam join suspense film The Ledge (THR): This sounds like a promising movie with a decent cast. Charlie Hunnam will play a suicidal man ready to jump off a building before noon while Terrence Howard will play the cop trying to convince him that life doesn’t suck!
Ryan Gosling join Steve Carrell in new untitled comedy by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Variety)
Viggo Mortensen joins David Cronenberg again in Talking Cure (Deadline)
Mike Vogel and Garrett Hedlund top candidates for Captain America, not Krasinski as reported earlier (Deadline): Does anyone actually have any idea what the hell is going on?
Directed by Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy follow-up to Lewis Carroll’s well known classic tale. Alice is now older, and is dead certain that her previous trip into the rabbit hole was nothing but a dream. So much, that even after days in Wonderland, she believes that she is still in a dream and imagining everything. But yet pinching herself isn’t going to help her escape from this imaginary land, which is counting down to Frabbulous Day, a day in which good and evil in Wonderland will meet in a final battle, in which the apex is supposed to consist of Alice killing the mighty Jabberwocky. But Alice is convinced that they’ve got the wrong Alice, as does most of Wonderland, and is convinced that slaying such a monster is an impossible feat. This, however, is when the Mad-Hatter comes into play.
The Mad-Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, is one of the last characters introduced into the film. Having developed an affection for Alice the last time she visited and had tea, he knows in his heart that this is indeed the correct Alice. The Mad-Hatter has changed from last time, though, and so has much of Wonderland. It has been since taken over by the Red Queen, which much of the previous kingdom burned down by the Jabberwocky. And now, with the clock ticking down to the time of the Frabbulous Day, everybody is getting nervous and scared, afraid that they will not have their champion to take down the Jabberwocky. What follows is a series of events that leads up to a Narnia-like finale that seems very rushed and feels like they could have added 5-10 minutes to let things play out naturally.
As you are watching this, you know that it’s made by Tim Burton. Everything in the movie is so creative and just out of this world that only Burton would be able to come up with such a dreamy environment and creative costumes. And while the visuals are quite beautiful, you can’t help but think that “its pretty, but not quite as believable as Avatar”. People weren’t kidding when they said Cameron set ahead graphic-design by two years. This is not to say that Burton did a horrible job, but it just makes the wonderful job that Avatar did all that more apparent. The visuals are creative, but most of it was to push the family-orientated value of the film. The color schemes of both sides of the spectrum are well done though, with everything red being painted the a fiery red. On the other hand, everything around White Queen (Anne Hathaway) being very bright with the color purity and innocence.
The casting for the most part was well done. Helena Bonham Carter is a Burton usual (she is his wife, after all), and she is arguably the best part about this film as the Red Queen and delivers most of the laughs that you get from this film. Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat is amazing as well, absolutely stealing the movie whenever he is on the screen. Johnny Depp is so-so as the Mad-Hatter. If it wasn’t for Burton directing this, Depp’s involvement in this film would seem like typecasting at it’s finest. He overdoes it at time, but much like the visuals, the performance is used to entertain the younger audience. Alan Rickman is pitch-perfect for the wise Blue Caterpillar, but doesn’t receive much screen time. Mia Wasikowska was pretty decent as the title character. Surprisingly, the script really didn’t ask much of Wasikowska, so I’m not sure how one could really grade her on this film. She did well enough for what she was asked to do, but didn’t really deliver anything that would make you think twice about her performance. It’s rare that you see a titular character get such a bland and limited role. I think if the script would’ve called for a more meaty role, the film would’ve been much more effective.
While this movie is very creative and a visual spectacle, you can’t help but get over the fact that this is directed towards a much younger crowd. It’s entertaining, and should be a real treat in 3-D, but a rather shallow script prevents this movie from being the true enjoyment for all audiences that it should be.
B-
Notes: 108 minutes in length, Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.
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Surprisingly, I thought that every actress looked at least semi-decent. No one attempted to look like an exotic bird or appeared to have wandered off a tropical zoo. I have never understood the fascination with really fancy (and ugly) “look at me” gowns. Call me boring but elegant and understated is always the way to go and it’s nice to see that most of the ladies went that way on Sunday. I initially typed up a Best and Worst Looking but almost ended up trashing the worst section because, well… who cares right? Anyways, here is the worst section:
Worst Looking:
Let’s take a look at the worst dressed first for a change: See a pattern here? Fancy usually results in looking like a clown, a bird or a combination of the two. I love Vera Farmiga as an actress but she did not look her best in that crazy “look at me” dress. She looked like she was devoured by a massive violet plant. Every year, someone fucks up and this year, it’s Charlize Theron. What the hell is on your cleavage? Seriously, are those cinnamon rolls??? Very tasteless. Sarah Jessica Parker in an unflattering dress. I never understood all the fascination with her to start off but she is not aging well, that’s all I will say. Will someone let Diane Kruger get a burger?? She looked so much better dressed in Inglourious Basterds than on the red carpet! Finally, Kristen Stewart! No, nothing wrong with her (really dark) dress, she actually looks pretty but she needs to lighten up. I have yet to ever see her have an unforced smile or laugh. Why so constipated? Jennifer Lopez is also worth mentioning as she looks like she made her dress from some insulation foam panels she found laying around her house.
Check back later for the Best Looking Gals on Oscars’ Night. Now that one is fun! In the meanwhile, what are your thoughts? Who was the worst looking actress on the red carpet?
Red: Well, to nobody’s surprise, the little film that could was able to outlast a late invasion from a group of giant blue aliens. The Hurt Locker ended up taking home an Oscars-best six awards, including the big three of Best Picture, Best Director, and a surprising grab in Best Original Screenplay. As is the usual case, once it won the award for Best Editing, the top prize for the war movie was pretty much a lock. The movie made plenty of history with the night, including Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first female to ever take home of the Best Director award. And with plenty of other great female directors out there, I hope this is a sign of things to come in the future, as well as inspire other young female artists to make movies.
Castor: I agree wholeheartedly that it’s good to see Kathryn Bigelow get the nod, simply because of the “trailblazing” factor as the first woman to win Best Director. In my opinion, neither Avatar or The Hurt Locker were worthy of Best Picture but I guess this is the lesser of two evils.
Red: Also as predicted, the acting categories were well predicted by pretty much everybody. Jeff Bridges finally gets his long awaited Oscar for his role in Crazy Heart, a film which I am hoping to finally catch tonight. The Dude truly abides. Christoph Waltz took home the Supporting Actor award, something that he had wrapped up since Inglourious Basterds debuted at Cannes early last summer. As always, his extremely humble acceptance speech (and believe me, he’s had quite a few this year) was one of the shining spots of the show.
Castor: Yes, anyone should have seen those two categories coming from 5 miles away. Good to see the dude finally win after 5 nominations.
Red: As for the ladies, Sandra Bullock was able to hold off Meryl Streep, even if the master still has a gazillion more nominations. While Bullock certainly wasn’t my first choice for Best Actress, it was a decent performance and was more of a career achievement award. And seeing how my favorite performance of the year from Tilda Swinton in Julia wasn’t nominated, I guess I was always going to have something to complain about. What makes this win even that more wonderful was that Bullock accepted a Razzie award for worst actress on Saturday night for her role in All About Steve. What a weekend! And then of course, Mo’Nique was another actor who was a virtual lock to win her award, took home Best Supporting Actress for her truly evil role in Precious. Her acceptance speech was great as well, knocking on everybody who criticized her for not trying to promote the award, saying that her win depended on the actual performance, and not showing up on late shows every other night.
Castor: I thought it would bug me more that she would win Best Actress but she was absolutely gracious the entire weekend, even going in person to pick up her Razzie Award and defending herself without knocking down anyone’s feathers. She even showed up 4 hours early on the red carpet to talk to every single news outlet. No wonder everyone in Hollywood loves her!
Red: Arguably the biggest surprise of the night was Geoffrey Fletcher’s win for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Precious, an award that was a heavy favorite to go to Up in the Air, which turned from an Oscar favorite in November to not winning a single award. Fletcher also became the first African American winner of such an award. Like I said, plenty of history was made on Sunday night. And while The Hurt Locker taking home the Best Original screenplay wasn’t too big of a surprise, it seemed like the majority of the people out there were hoping that Inglourious Basterds would steal this away, myself including.
Castor: It definitely was very disappointing that Inglourious Basterds did not get even Best Original Screenplay. I don’t know what you have to do to win that award, seriously. Precious‘ script was nothing fantastic while IB’s script was mind boggling in its detail and character development. Fletcher looked like he was going to have a cardiac arrest lol! One recurring theme last night was how they would show videos for the most random stuff such as Screenplay but they would not show videos for the most visual category of all, cinematography.
Red: The biggest disappointment for me was the Foreign Language category. While I have yet to watch The Secret in Their Eyes, it would be hard pressed to receive a better grade from myself than a movie like The White Ribbon, which I finally caught last week and graded a perfect A+. I ignored all the signs that Ribbon wasn’t going to win, and predicted it instead. First, there is the trend as of late of the Academy ignoring violent movies when it comes to the international movies. Second, there was the fact that Ribbon and The Prophet were going to split too many votes for either of them to win, despite both movies being in many critics top 5 movies of 2009.
Castor: Yes, The White Ribbon is a movie I need to catch. Good on you to post a prediction for the Oscars, I did not care enough to do so lol
Red: I ended up being 17 out of 24. I whiffed on both screenplays, as well as most of the shorts and a documentary. Add on “Avatar” losing out on Sound Editing, and there are all my misses. The night was mostly predictable for the awards that mattered most, but when it comes to those smaller awards for pieces that most people haven’t watched and more than likely won’t remember, it really is just a wild guessing game.
The telecast itself seemed to be too long. My DVR didn’t even record the entire thing. I loved the opening sequence by Neil Patrick Harris, especially the Dolly Parton joke towards the end. Baldwin and Martin were great as hosts, though the opening monologue seemed to drag on and on, seemingly pointing out every single person in the crowd. And then as the show dragged on, they seemed to be less and less involved, although their Paranormal Activity spoof was absolutely hilarious. Oh, and Ben Stiller as a blue alien? Fantastic.
Castor: I thought it was not better or worse than in previous years which means it was pretty damn bad. To me, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin weren’t all that funny. Their pseudo-conversations felt really flat and the jokes seemed like they were directed to the 60+ year-old crowd. The show really dragged on for way too long! Like you said, the intro of all the nominees at the beginning was really overkill. And then, they pretty much did the same thing again at the end. The only fun parts was when the purple woman ran up the stage and interrupted the winner and how they would cut off all those “technical” people who went over the 45-sec limit. Oh and could Kristen Stewart be any more constipated?
Red: Well, that officially puts an end to the 2009 year of cinema. And just like that, we are moving into next year. Already people are calling for Leo to receive a nomination for Shutter Island, although it would be pretty difficult for it to last the entire year. But with the Best Picture field expanded to 10, it could be just a matter of one or two months before the first couple nominees sneak up on us.
What did you think of the winners and/or television cast?
From the musical Across the Universe (2007), a fantastic gospel version of the Beatles’ Let it Be. Just to clarify, this is actually part of the movie, not a music video:
The time is finally upon us. Nothing has seemingly changed since the nominations were announced, and that’s even counting the extremely negative publicity “The Hurt Locker” has received as of late. And much like at the time of the nominations, most of the major awards are pretty much wrapped up. Of the eight major awards to be handed out tomorrow evening, only Best Picture and both Screenplays seem to be in question. The Best Picture race is evidently down to only two movies, while the Screenplay races are wide open to multiple contenders. With that being said, see my predicted winners and the runner-ups by clicking on the fancy jumpy thingy.
Per request from Ventilation Shaft, this is Shini from the Japanese movie Casshern. Have a great day everyone! Any request, let it be known in the comments area.
David Fincher’s Se7en is a crime thriller that has become one of my favorite film of all-time. It initially appears as your typical run-of-the-mill serial killer movie but manages to go against all the viewer’s expectations. Fincher crafted an incredibly dark and bleak movie and the absolutely shocking final twist takes you aback like very few movies I have seen have ever managed to do. Since this movie has been released nearly 15 years ago, this review will contain important spoilers, I STRONGLY advise against reading beyond this point if you plan on seeing this movie.
As the film begins, we meet Detective William R. Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a disillusioned and burnt-out homicide detective who is set to retire within a week and only wants to get as far away as possible from this gloomy and decaying city. Alongside Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), a brash and cocky young police officer who is set to replace him, Somerset investigates a series of murders inspired by the seven deadly sins.
Structurally, Se7en is unlike most movies of its genre. We never witness the acts of violence, only their aftermaths. There is also only one single action scene, a thrilling chase sequence mid-way through the movie. On the other hand, Se7en is very heavy in terms of dialogue and character development and we spend a lot of time getting to know the 4 main characters. Finally, one of the first thing you will notice is the oppressive atmosphere. The interior scenes are almost unequivocally extremely dark, damp, and cramped. You can almost smell the stench of putrefaction. This was achieved thanks to the cinematography by Darius Khondji and the sets design by Arthur Max. They set a dark and gloomy atmosphere for most of the movie and the omnipresent rain on outdoor scenes only adds to that effect.
Fincher repeatedly plays with the viewer’s expectations. Somerset states at one point that John Doe is eventually going to make a mistake and that’s our expectation after having been conditioned by dozens of crime movies where the criminal ends up making a stupid mistake that leads to his own demise. However, in Se7en, John Doe is always in control from beginning to end. He surrenders himself to law enforcement but everything is still under his terms. He is given substantial amount of dialogue and we discover that he is not only a cunning and extremely intelligent individual but also extremely articulate and almost too convincing when trying to explain his”work”.
Morgan Freeman gives an outstanding subtle performance which elevates the performance of his co-stars. This is exactly the type of acting I’m talking about when I speak about conveying a character’s background without the viewer actually having to be told. We get to know Somerset’s life with very little dialogue and this is what makes Freeman a superb actor. We can see his personality evolve as he takes Mills under his wing after a relatively cold beginning to their relationship. He begins as this cynic and tired cop who has seen too much over the years but the layers start to peel away as he interacts with the young Mills and more importantly Tracy, who reminds him of innocence he hadn’t witnessed in so long. Beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow, as Mills’ wife Tracy, provides the few rays of brightness and hopes amid the oppressively gloomy settings and I would have liked to see more of her character.
Brad Pitt gives a somewhat uneven and uni-dimensional performance (I’m harping here, he is fine). His character would have been more likable, had he been infused with another layer of complexity beyond the all-brawn personality he displays for most of the movie. Finally, Kevin Spacey embodies the personality of the most dangerous people on Earth, fanatical individuals with nothing to lose and nothing to gain. Here, he is simply pitch-perfect, giving John Doe an aura of mellow and collected detachment that is incredibly creepy.
A masterpiece of the 90’s, Se7en is an oppressively dark and grisly crime thriller that has aged very well, so far.
A
Notes: Rated R for grisly after-views of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language. 127 minutes.
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Directed by Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon is a mystery-drama that is based in a small village in Germany just before the outbreak of World War I. Like many other reviewers have, I would somewhat advise to see this movie without knowing too much about it. All you need to know is that this is probably an instant classic in my book, and knowing too much about the story would deprive you of the full effect the first viewing should have on the viewer.
The film follows the events taking place in the village of Eichwald, as the story is being narrated by the village school teacher. Eichwald is a very small village, everybody is under the rule of the Baron. The Baron employs over half the village as farmers, and lives what is apparently a very relaxed life with his wife and his three children. Along with the Baron, the town is run by the Pastor, the doctor, the school teacher, and the Steward. Nameless they remain, powerful figures they are among the town. The film begins with the doctor being involved in a terrible accident, in which someone among the village tripped the doctor and his horse by tying wire in between the two trees. While the doctor is sent to a hospital in a nearby town, the question of who did it still remains in doubt. What follows is a series of attacks from an unknown culprit, and nobody seem to connect any of the attacks into a single motive.
Along the way, we learn much about the villagers and everyday life in the early 20th century. Work is hard, times are rough, and the parents are some of the strictest guardians you will see on film. Most of the discipline comes from the Pastor, who doesn’t hesitate to whip his own children with a cane for being late to dinner. Religion is enforced to a high degree, even to a point as to where the movie gets it’s name from. As a sign of purity and innocence, the Pastor forces children of have strayed away from such values to wear a white ribbon on their arm and as a hair piece. This is supposed to give them a constant reminder of how they should act, remembering the ideals that their father has implemented in them. With this, Haneke is able to deliver certain themes to the movie, some that you won’t even realize that are there until the film is over. This is a theme that I wish I could elaborate more on, because it offers up such a great conversation starter, but I don’t want to ruin this movie for you in any possible way. Good thing people are allowed to comment on such posts, eh?
While the film is narrated by the school teacher, much of the film takes place away from the teacher. For most of his screen time, he is in a love story with a much younger girl that works as a sitter for the Baron. This love is put to the test after the girl is unfairly fired by the Baron, and she is forced to move back home in another village. When he’s not traveling to visit her, he begins to try and piece together the series of attacks that have plagued the town as of late. Nobody knows anything though, and hardly anybody trusts each other. As we learn more about the different villagers, it often leaves us in shock to learn of the events that take place within their own homes. After the entire viewing, one starts to realize exactly how these horrible attacks could possibly be taking place in such a small village. Like I said before, this movie brings up a good number of themes that stem from a number of places, most of all religion and politics. While the movie is never really resolved, one can put together the pieces and come up with a wide variety of opinions.
Shot in black and white, the movie is visually stunning. If I had popped this movie in the DVD player without reading when it was made, I would’ve sworn on my life that it was made no later 1960. Often using long single shots, this film paints the scene with such realism you can’t help but just sit back and admire what you are watching. DP Christian Berger is up for an Oscar here in two days, and this small foreign flick could very easily steal that award away from the giant blue aliens. Converting the footage to black and white was the absolute best idea that Haneke could have had for this film. One could even go as far as comparing the coloring of the film to some of the themes that take place within the film. Along with the camera work, the acting is spot on with every character. Not a single beat is missed with any of the casting, even with the children. It’s rumored that over 7,000 children were brought in and auditioned for these roles, and they were able to bring in the very best of the bunch. To pick out a single performance that you liked more than others is nearly impossible.
A visual treat, The White Ribbon is a movie that will not only be a spectacle for you to glare at, but also a film that will work your mind just as much as it delights your eyes. This is a classic in the making, and couldn’t get a higher recommendation from me.
A+
Notes: 144 minutes. Rated R for some disturbing content involving violence and sexuality. Seen in German with English subtitles.
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The time is finally upon us. Nothing has seemingly changed since the nominations were announced, and that’s even counting the extremely negative publicity “The Hurt Locker” has received as of late. And much like at the time of the nominations, most of the major awards are pretty much wrapped up. Of the eight major awards to be handed out tomorrow evening, only Best Picture and both Screenplays seem to be in question. The Best Picture race is evidently down to only two movies, while the Screenplay races are wide open to multiple contenders. With that being said, see my predicted winners and the runner-ups by clicking on the fancy jumpy thingy.
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