Oscar Predictions 2013

Oscar Predictions 2013

What a year in film! I didn't go to the movies as much as I would have liked this year, thus I haven't seen some of the nominated films. But that surely won't stop me from making my predictions!

Best Actor: I think Daniel Day-Lewis has this category on lock. There's no way any other nominee has the clout or performance to beat his this year. If for whatever reason he didn't win, my money would be on Bradley Cooper.

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence. I've heard great things about each of the other nominees' performances, but Lawrence's has the most buzz (plus she was FANTASTIC in the film). Each other nominee has issues with their film: Chastain's film is currently clouded in controversy and the film hasn't even been fully released; Emmanuelle Riva's "Amour" is a foreign language film, which the Academy doesn't usually honor with the top categories; Quvenzhané Wallis is too young, and "Beast of the Southern Wild" was released too long ago for it to be a powerful contender; Naomi Watts is the nominee I think has the power to take the award away from Lawrence.
SNUB: Possibly Marion Cotillard. I haven't seen her film "Rust and Bone," so I can't fairly judge. But I think the Academy couldn't possibly nominate two actresses in foreign films in the same year.

Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin. I haven't had a chance to see "Argo" (I KNOW) but based off the buzz he's getting, I'd say he has this category won. Robert De Niro would be a close second.

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway. I don't think this needs to be explained.

Best Director: This is going to be a tough one, but I think Steven Spielberg will take home Oscar Gold. David O. Russell could sneak in there, but ultimately I think this is Spielberg's year.

Best Picture: 9 nominees this year-WOW! This will also be a really tough category, and only time will tell who the frontrunner is. I think Les Miz is out solely because it's a musical. Its director not being nominated is also a telling sign. I think the Oscar will go to Silver Linings Playbook or Lincoln.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook
Release Date: December 25, 2012
Directed By: David O. Russell
Based off the book "Silver Linings Playbook" by Matthew Quick

Synopsis: Pat returns to his parents' Philadelphia home after spending eight months in a court-ordered psychiatric facility as a result of assaulting his wife's lover. Pat's timid mother and OCD father strive to get their son back on his feet, but his obsession with reuniting with his wife and his noncompliance with his medication has everyone on edge. Pat is introduced to Tiffany, the sister of a friend's wife and a young widow who has issues of her own. After spending some time together, they realize some "crazy" in their lives might be just what each of them needs.

Review: I really enjoyed the film's representation of mental illness. Each character takes responsibility for their respective disorders, and they don't apologize for it. Bradley Cooper's intense mood swings were hard to watch, which for me was a testament to his acting. I managed to neither feel sorry for him nor dislike him. Jennifer Lawrence gave a powerhouse performance as a damaged young woman just looking for someone to truly love her. Pat and Tiffany pose as perfect foils and lovers for one another. Because of what each of them has been through, they're able to understand one another in a way no one else has before.

Every scene flowed smoothly and each character arc was satisfying. Robert DeNiro's portrayal as a flawed, OCD yet loving father was exceptional. You could tell he really loved his son despite no really understanding him. Jackie Weaver as Pat's meek mother was just the ounce of sweetness this movie needed.

What I really enjoyed was kind of a bizarre plot development. Pat is desperate to see or speak to his wife, but the restraining order puts the kibosh on that. Tiffany agrees to give PAt's letter to his wife, but only if he competes in a dance competition with her after Christmas. The time spent together practicing for the competition helps foster their growing love for one another. I liked that the filmmakers didn't make the dancing the central plot point, but a device to lighten up the film a bit.

I'd highly recommend this film!

I'm a terrible person/blogger

I still have seven (yes, SEVEN!) movies to upload. but have not found the time. Hopefully this weekend, I can tackle the movies which I have yet to review (all of which are now out on video . . . sad).

Until that time comes, I'd like to post my most anticipated movies for fall.

1) The Muppets (So darn cute!)

2) Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (Campy, but awesome)

3) Drive

4) The Ides Of March (BORING)

5) 50/50 (I was laughing and bawling simultaneously. So good.)

6) J. Edgar

7) We Bought A Zoo (Heartfelt and sweet.)

8) Warrior (The acting was good, but it was kind of boring.)

9) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

10) Like Crazy

11) War Horse

12) In Time

13) Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

14) The Adventures of Tin-Tin: Secret of the Unicorn

I'm going to have a busy fall and winter . . .

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/08/fall_movies_slideshow.html#

Water For Elephants

1.) Water For Elephants
Released: April 22, 2011
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Based off the novel "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Synopsis: An old man in a nursing home escapes the confines of his elderly prison and sneaks across the street to a circus. He is found by the owner of the circus, and the old man begins to tell his story Jacob Jankowski is about to take his Veterinary Boards when he finds out both of his parents have died in a car accident. He comes to find that his parents have left him nothing, all in the name of sending him to Vet school. This devastating blow causes Jacob to re-evaluate his next step, and instead of heading back to school, he heads to the open road. Along the way he jumps a train, which turns out to be for the Circus that's passing through town. He's brought to the Ringleader, August, and comes aboard as the circus vet. After the circus buys an elephant named Rosie from a bankrupt show, it becomes Jacob's responsibility to care for her. He soon finds that the beautiful horse woman, Marlena (who happens to be August's wife) will be the one performing with Rosie. Jacob, Marlena, and Rosie form a special bond, which changes the circus, and their lives, forever.

Review: I saw this movie opening weekend, and I have NO idea why I'm not posting my review until now. I want to start of by saying that this book is in my top ten favorites of all time. So not only was I elated that they were making this into a film, I was also a bit apprehensive, as many are when cherished novels transition to the silver screen. Every new development in casting excited me, and when I saw the preview for the first time, I cried (and two more viewing after that. I'm a sucker, what can I say).

I LOVED this film. It was so true to the book, that it kind of blew my mind. Even my dad liked it (totally not his kind of movie, he gave it an eight out of ten). The costumes and make up were absolutely beautiful, the scenery and sets were perfectly selected and crafted, and i thought the casting was spot-on for each character. It's hard for me not to like Reese Witherspoon, and her take on Marlena, the enchanting "horse woman" only endeared me to her more. I haven't seen much of Christoph Watlz, but he was perfect for the role of the hot-headed and abusive August. As for Robert Pattinson's performance, I was pleasantly surprised. Is he the next greatest actor of our time? No. Was he enjoyable to watch? Absolutely.

What really added to the magic of this film was Rosie, the elephant. Her presence alone while reading the book would make me smile, laugh, and cry. Luckily she did the same thing for me in the film. Each of my favorite scenes involving her in the novel translated incredibly well to the screen (her only responding to commands in Polish, stealing the lemonade, and mostly the ending).

Let me just explain the ending (for those who don't want to know, skip this part). Jacob and Marlena decide to escape the circus and run away together, away from August. during a show, many of the animals are let loose, causing an immediate evacuation of the tent, as well as utter chaos (what else could it be with wild animals running amok). In the midst of the insanity, August sees Marlena and Jacob trying to escape. He runs over to the lovers, takes Marlena and begins to choke her. Upon the brink of Marlena's last breath, Rosie appears, takes a stake out of the ground, and slits August's throat. The ENTIRE theater erupted in cheers and clapping. Now in the book, Rosie steps on August's head and smashes it like a watermelon (which would have been oh so satisfying had Sean Penn not have dropped out of filming). For cinematic purposes, I'm glad I didn't see a head blown to smithereens. Marlena, Jacob, and Rosie all end up happily ever after.

I can't even describe how glad I am that the filmmakers were loyal to the novel. It was a bit slow at parts, but so was the book I suppose. All in all, I highly recommend this movie, to all of have read the book or not.

Up next: Horrible Bosses; X-Men: First Class; Bridesmaids; Crazy, Stupid, Love; Captain America: The First Avenger; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (eeeek!)

The Brief Catch Up

Alright, it's been about three months since my last complete post, and I have six movies on the docket to be reviewed. However, I saw some of these movies closer to my final complete post than in the past couple weeks, so I'll give these films brief and ridiculously short reviews (recent life events have clouded my head, making it virtually impossible for me to remember everything about them).

1) The Lincoln Lawyer: I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I'm not the biggest McConaughey
fan (I think he's kind of an arrogant a-hole), but this is the role he was born to play. Long story short: he plays a stereotypical- sleazeball public defender. He is specifically requested for a high profile trial, and immediately thinks he'll win the case, no problem. He soon comes to realize that a past case has a bigger influence over his current client's charges than he could have imagined, and his character begins to rethink the differences between guilt and innocence. It was action-packed yet not over done, and well written. Not to mention there was a bit of a peanut gallery sitting in front of us (which usually I hate), but their commentary provided quite the comic relief from the intensity of the story ("Oh shit, that fool better run! Bitch be crazy!"). I definitely recommend this film!

2) The Hangover 2: Now I did see this movie relatively recently, but I disliked it so much that I don't think it's worthy of a full review. I am a HUGE fan of the first movie, and some of the elements that worked in the first film translated well into the second installment, However, this strength also proved to be the film's biggest detriment. It was THE SAME MOVIE, except they went more for shock and awe rather than smart yet perverted humor. I must say I was extremely disappointed. Zach Galifinakis was predictably hilarious, and this movie would have tanked without him in it.

3) Thor: I went to the movies with my parents, and it was Dad's turn to choose the film of the day. I had no desire to see it, other than the draw of the ridiculously hot Chris Hemsworth (that smile . . . swoon!), but was game for checking it out. Man, was that a fun movie! We accidentally saw it in 3D, but we were all delighted it ended up that way. The special effects were fantastic (95% of Thor's home planet was CGI); you felt like you were watching it all go down in real time. The greatest part about this movie was that it was SO cheesy, but the filmmakers totally embraced it. They didn't try to make this uber-serious film from a ridiculous premise and predictable (yet thoroughly enjoyable) acting. I'll definitely buy this movie when it comes out. Not to mention that when anything shocking happens, I have been inspired to say, "By the hammer of Thor!" For example: "By the hammer of Thor! That lightening storm was insane!" Good thing Tina Fey keeps me updated on sayings like these. Golden.

In the coming week(s), I'll upload full reviews of Water For Elephants, Bridesmaids, and X-Men First Class, and Horrible Bosses. I know you are waiting with baited breath for their reveal. ;) (here's a sneak peek, THEY ALL ROCKED).

I'll catch up soon . . . I promise!

I am such a slacker when ti comes to this blog in recent months. I have about six movies to review, and I swear I will do so soon! Life has gotten the best of me as of late (which is definitely not a bad thing), but you'll hear my pearls of wisdom soon. Since I know the five of you that actually read this are DYING to hear my thoughts. ;-)