we're smack in the middle of the awards season and i'm VERY behind on my movies-- especially the ones jockeying to make the Oscar shortlist come (gasp!) January 23. so what did i do during my winter break? catch the eff up on movie watching. and there's still a loooong way to go. i'm gonna have to prioritize after the noms go out...
the films i did get a chance to see all seemed to revolve around women dreaming (or fantasizing?) about better things:
Dream Girls
And I am telling you...Jennifer Hudson is AMAZING. after reading all the reviews, i feared her performance was over-hyped. fortunately, i was wrong. her explosion on the screen was very real, especially during that much impersonated/lip-synched/karaoke'd rendition of film's signature showstopper. i really did get goosebumps. and don't let the ads fool you-- this is Hudson's film. Beyonce just gets to look beautiful in an endless array of costume changes. when Hudson (and the Eddie Murphy) wasn't on screen, the film lost some of its heat.
watching this at New York's historic Ziegfeld theater was quite also quite the trip. the sound was fantastic and the audience was always a) on the verge of tears b) giving a standing ovation, or c) crying 'you go girl!' at the movie screen. at the end, i think the line of men sitting in front of us were holding each other weeping. haha!
Little Children
I have the biggest girl-crush on Kate Winslet. She is just so fantastic. And beautiful. And she never fails to wow me. I am sure she'll get a nomination for her performance as an unhappy wife who has an affair with an unhappy married man she meets at the playground (the perfect-looking Patrick Wilson). I will always admire Winslet's complete lack of self-consciousness in all of her roles.
Notes on a Scandal
this movie is a trip. it's billed as a drama but it is more melo-dramatic and packs a lot of tension and entertainment in a tight 90 minutes. Cate Blanchett (she of the ridiculous cheekbones) plays a upper-class bohemian art teacher with a frustrating personal life who becomes the not-so-subtle object of Judi Dench's affection. Dench's lecherous attachment/attraction to Cate and her family is both creepy and pathetic. Almost as creepy as Cate's affair with a 15 year old student, an entangelement that leads to her character's inevitable, yet brutal downfall. Nearly everyone in this film is unsympathetic but it is so wonderfully acted and cleverly written, you can't help loving every second of it.
Children of Men
it is 2027. and mankind has lost its ability to reproduce. the world is in a state of perpetual violence and chaos. if you can't guess already, please don't watch this film if you're looking for something light and uplifting. Children of Men is decidedly bleak, eerily realistic in its prescient view of our collective future. The film is often shot with a shaky hand-held camera, which captures the world in total grayness (sunlight does not seem appropriate for a time when a baby's whimper has become a lost artifact of the past). Clive Owen gives a performance that is Oscar-worthy and it would be a nice surprise to see his name come up on Tuesday morning.
what's next on my must-see list? Volver. I love Almodovar films. And they're the only way I can bear Penelope Cruz. Babel. Hopefully some choice Oscar nods will keep this movie in theaters. The Queen. Isn't it a given Helen Mirren will win? Isn't it also a given that Helen Mirren has the best cleavage for a 60 year old? and of course, The Departed. Why have I waited so long to see this one?!?! Oh well.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Saturday, January 20
Saturday, March 4
Oscars' Eve
finally emerging from my flu-induced seclusion, i breathed in nyc air again today as if it was the first time, and declared it: "Fresh!" yes, i MUST have been sick. but man does it feel good to live like a normal person and not like the zombie shuffling through my apartment the past five days. and what great timing as the Oscars are on tomorrow! yay! admittedly, i really enjoy all the razzle dazzle, glitzy glamour and overly inflated glory attributed to that oh-so-not-so-world-changing event that will be the 78th Annual Academy Awards. it's all fluff, and yet, for three hours, it's taken very very seriously. but really, the bonus this year is that the show will be hosted by one of my major crushes-- Mr. Jon Stewart. can we get a triple sigh? sigh sigh sigh...
there's a running "joke" with my annual group of oscar-watching buddies that they should just hand me over their $$$ for the oscar pool because i always win. well, always is an over-statement. but i do think i have an 80% win rate. and i'm hoping it'll tilt again in my favor this year...as i am a poor grad student. so. instead of revealing my picks on who will win, i'm just gonna share some personal favorites on who i hope will be honored come tomorrow nite:
Best Director, Ang Lee
oh how i want him to win. i've seen six of his nine films-- from the sumptuous feast that is Eat Drink Man Woman to the tragic delicacy of The Ice Storm-- and believe there is no filmmaker out there with such versatility. unfortunately, the Academy has been generous to his films, but not to his achievement as a director. In 1996, Sense & Sensibility was nominated for Best Picture but Lee did not get a nod for director; Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon's 2001 sweep through the awards season ended when on Oscar night, Lee became the fifth director EVER to win the Director's Guild and not the Academy Award. Let's hope with Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee gets his due...and btw, he would be the very first Asian director to ever do so if it happens. fingers crossed...
Best Original Screenplay, Crash
by far, the most provacative film that came out in a year of provocative films. it challenged my perceptions and moved me to both tears and shame. this was a film rooted strongly in its words and i have no doubt it will be rewarded for it...
Best Actor, Heath Ledger
People can say what they want, but I really prefer Heath's portrayal in this category...and that's saying a lot because I saw the films of each of the actors nominated and thought they were all phenomenal. but Heath's was the one that filled me with complete sadness. the seeming emptiness of his life at the end of the film...it was almost too much to bear...and you can feel that burden in his character. i left the theater remembering that burden, that complete acceptance of his loneliness, for days afterwards. that's powerful acting, no?
Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"
i recently watched Hustle & Flow and am still singing the hook to this hip hop track in my head. LOVE IT! it would kick ass to have a song about pimpin' and ho's as an Oscar-winning song. i wonder who's going to sing it (or really, RAP it) during the ceremony tomorrow...hm...
there's a running "joke" with my annual group of oscar-watching buddies that they should just hand me over their $$$ for the oscar pool because i always win. well, always is an over-statement. but i do think i have an 80% win rate. and i'm hoping it'll tilt again in my favor this year...as i am a poor grad student. so. instead of revealing my picks on who will win, i'm just gonna share some personal favorites on who i hope will be honored come tomorrow nite:
Best Director, Ang Lee
oh how i want him to win. i've seen six of his nine films-- from the sumptuous feast that is Eat Drink Man Woman to the tragic delicacy of The Ice Storm-- and believe there is no filmmaker out there with such versatility. unfortunately, the Academy has been generous to his films, but not to his achievement as a director. In 1996, Sense & Sensibility was nominated for Best Picture but Lee did not get a nod for director; Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon's 2001 sweep through the awards season ended when on Oscar night, Lee became the fifth director EVER to win the Director's Guild and not the Academy Award. Let's hope with Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee gets his due...and btw, he would be the very first Asian director to ever do so if it happens. fingers crossed...
Best Original Screenplay, Crash
by far, the most provacative film that came out in a year of provocative films. it challenged my perceptions and moved me to both tears and shame. this was a film rooted strongly in its words and i have no doubt it will be rewarded for it...
Best Actor, Heath Ledger
People can say what they want, but I really prefer Heath's portrayal in this category...and that's saying a lot because I saw the films of each of the actors nominated and thought they were all phenomenal. but Heath's was the one that filled me with complete sadness. the seeming emptiness of his life at the end of the film...it was almost too much to bear...and you can feel that burden in his character. i left the theater remembering that burden, that complete acceptance of his loneliness, for days afterwards. that's powerful acting, no?
Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"
i recently watched Hustle & Flow and am still singing the hook to this hip hop track in my head. LOVE IT! it would kick ass to have a song about pimpin' and ho's as an Oscar-winning song. i wonder who's going to sing it (or really, RAP it) during the ceremony tomorrow...hm...
Monday, November 14
Jane Austen Redux
sure, Jane Austen is an irresistible source to tap into when it comes to film-making...but how many versions of Pride & Prejudice can each generation take? apparently, not enough. whoever the incarnation, be it a neurotic British diaryist or a fearless Bollywood beauty...it seems all women aspire to be a little like Elizabeth Bennett.
against my better wishes, my jewish sista persuaded (or passive-aggressively dragged) me to see the new Keira Knightly helmed take on the Austen classic. the theater was packed with women (and the occassional hauled boyfriend) ready to take in the high comedy and drama eventually leading Lizzie to fall for the arrogant-turned-dashing Mr. Darcy. for those of us still shaking off the goose-bumps induced by the decidedly sexy Colin Firth as Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries version (um, wet white shirt scene at Pemberly? fan me now!), THIS new Darcy will leave a lot to be desired. he's handsome, yes. but you just don't SEE the transformation from uppity ass to a man affected by love...nor does he do adequate justice to the pivotal marriage proposal scene. which, for more dramatic flourish, was done in the rain, not as Austen intended. artistic license i understand...but come on! rain?!?! how cliche is that? however, there are upsides. the film is beautifully shot and the score is lovely (and perhaps, eerily similar to the BBC's score?). Knightly makes a feisty Elizabeth and Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland are perfectly cast as the Bennett parents. and Dame Judi Dench, true to form, is a biting and almost demonic Lady Catherine. overall, i'll admit that film is faithful in tone to Austen's story-- particularly paying close attention to the finely drawn comedic points. i actually laughed out loud quite a lot. but when the credits rolled, i was ready to go home and reacquaint myself with the book. even a good copy can never top the original masterpiece.
against my better wishes, my jewish sista persuaded (or passive-aggressively dragged) me to see the new Keira Knightly helmed take on the Austen classic. the theater was packed with women (and the occassional hauled boyfriend) ready to take in the high comedy and drama eventually leading Lizzie to fall for the arrogant-turned-dashing Mr. Darcy. for those of us still shaking off the goose-bumps induced by the decidedly sexy Colin Firth as Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries version (um, wet white shirt scene at Pemberly? fan me now!), THIS new Darcy will leave a lot to be desired. he's handsome, yes. but you just don't SEE the transformation from uppity ass to a man affected by love...nor does he do adequate justice to the pivotal marriage proposal scene. which, for more dramatic flourish, was done in the rain, not as Austen intended. artistic license i understand...but come on! rain?!?! how cliche is that? however, there are upsides. the film is beautifully shot and the score is lovely (and perhaps, eerily similar to the BBC's score?). Knightly makes a feisty Elizabeth and Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland are perfectly cast as the Bennett parents. and Dame Judi Dench, true to form, is a biting and almost demonic Lady Catherine. overall, i'll admit that film is faithful in tone to Austen's story-- particularly paying close attention to the finely drawn comedic points. i actually laughed out loud quite a lot. but when the credits rolled, i was ready to go home and reacquaint myself with the book. even a good copy can never top the original masterpiece.
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