SOFIA COPPOLA FILMS
What I would give to be in a Sofia Coppola film...
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
HELLO OSCAR NOMS!!
Oscar Nominations Day Today!!!
So these are my wishlists-cum-predictions. They are only for the Big 5, or well Big 6 as there are two types of Screenplays PLUS the Supporting Categories. The others I know my selected winners and I am not familiar with everyone's work, so all that will be decided and posted after the nominations, before the awards. Duh.
Best Picture
Mine: 1) The Social Network
2) Black Swan
3) Inception
4) Toy Story 3
5) I Am Love
6) The King’s Speech
7) True Grit
8) Blue Valentine
9) The Fighter
10) The Ghost Writer
Theirs: Inception and Toy Story are shaky and The Ghost Writer would be a surprise. Instead, they would probably choose films like Rabbit Hole, Animal Kingdom and Winter’s Bone.
Winner- If statistics and worth mean anything, it should go to The Social Network, but AMPAs may do a Crash on it and Black Swan or The King’s Speech may win.
Best Director
Mine: 1) David Fincher for The Social Network
2) Darren Aronfsky for Black Swan
3) Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech
4) The Coen Brothers for True Grit
5) Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer
Theirs: I doubt Polanski’s position. It will probably be David O’ Russel for The Fighter or Lisa Cholodenko for The Kids Are All Right.
Winner- This has to be Fincher’s year. For all that he has done for me. Aronofsky has his eye on the gold though.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Mine: 1) Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
2) James Franco in 127 Hours
3) Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
4) Christian Bale in The Fighter
5) Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris
Theirs: They are going to replace Jim Carrey with Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine and put Mark Wahlberg in place of Bale, who was a co-lead, but jury members are stupid like that. Eisenberg may also be replaced by Jeff Bridges for True Grit, though that again was a supporting role at the most.
Winner: King Colin has this in the bag essentially. I would still love a surprise win from Eisenberg or Franco.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Mine: 1) Natalie Portman for Black Swan
2) Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
3) Tilda Swinton for I Am Love
4) Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone
5) Emma Stone for Easy A
Theirs: Tilda and Emma are not certain, especially Emma because of the “low Oscar appeal” of the film. They will put Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine and maybe even Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (as she was the lead).
Winner- This is clearly a new versus old, drama versus comedy, goddess versus angel category. That means it will be either Bening or Portman, though I think Portman will bag the Oscar,
Best Original Screenplay
Mine: 1) Christopher Nolan for Inception
2) Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin for Black Swan
3) Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich for Toy Story 3
4) Sofia Coppola for Somewhere
5) Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right
Theirs: I don’t know who they’ll replace, but Blue Valentine and Animal Kingdom are strong contenders. Sofia Coppola will be replaced by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson for The Fighter
Winner: I really think it should go to Inception, but Black Swan or The Kids Are All Right may be a surprise.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Mine: 1) Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
2) Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for 127 Hours
3) Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for The Winter’s Bone
4) Roman Polanski and Robert Harris for The Ghost Writer
5) Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall for Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Theirs: The last two are highly doubtful to get any love from the AMPAs and the 127 Hours team is on shaky grounds too. The Coen Brothers will probably be nominated for True Grit along with David Lindsay-Abaire for Rabbit Hole.
Winner: Aaron Sorkin has to win for what he did with Accidental Billionaires and how he turned it into the absolutely wonderful Social Network.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mine: 1) Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech
2) Jeremy Renner in The Town
3) Andrew Garfield in The Social Netwok
4) Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
5) Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Theirs: AMPAs will probably put Christian Bale here. Also Pierce Brosnan from The Ghost Writer would be a good surprise. Andrew G. and Mark Ruffalo have a relatively shaky position.
Winner: In my list- Geoffrey Rush, though Andrew G. winning would be a spectacular thing to watch. A list with Bale will have Bale taking the Oscar home in his Bat Mobile.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Mine: 1) Barbara Hershey for Black Swan
2) Amy Adams for The Fighter
3) Melissa Leo for The Fighter
4) Olivia Williams for The Ghost Writer
5) Elle Fanning for Somewhere
Theirs: Mila Kunis can come for Black Swan and they’ll probably put Hailee Steinfeld here along with Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech. Imagine if Rooney Mara for Social Network lands here.
Winner: I thought that Barbara Hershey was a much more unforgettable and dysfunctional mother than Melissa Leo this year. I hope the AMPAs do too.
Let's see how it goes. And fingers crossed o'course.
So these are my wishlists-cum-predictions. They are only for the Big 5, or well Big 6 as there are two types of Screenplays PLUS the Supporting Categories. The others I know my selected winners and I am not familiar with everyone's work, so all that will be decided and posted after the nominations, before the awards. Duh.
Best Picture
Mine: 1) The Social Network
2) Black Swan
3) Inception
4) Toy Story 3
5) I Am Love
6) The King’s Speech
7) True Grit
8) Blue Valentine
9) The Fighter
10) The Ghost Writer
Theirs: Inception and Toy Story are shaky and The Ghost Writer would be a surprise. Instead, they would probably choose films like Rabbit Hole, Animal Kingdom and Winter’s Bone.
Winner- If statistics and worth mean anything, it should go to The Social Network, but AMPAs may do a Crash on it and Black Swan or The King’s Speech may win.
Best Director
Mine: 1) David Fincher for The Social Network
2) Darren Aronfsky for Black Swan
3) Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech
4) The Coen Brothers for True Grit
5) Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer
Theirs: I doubt Polanski’s position. It will probably be David O’ Russel for The Fighter or Lisa Cholodenko for The Kids Are All Right.
Winner- This has to be Fincher’s year. For all that he has done for me. Aronofsky has his eye on the gold though.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Mine: 1) Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
2) James Franco in 127 Hours
3) Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
4) Christian Bale in The Fighter
5) Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris
Theirs: They are going to replace Jim Carrey with Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine and put Mark Wahlberg in place of Bale, who was a co-lead, but jury members are stupid like that. Eisenberg may also be replaced by Jeff Bridges for True Grit, though that again was a supporting role at the most.
Winner: King Colin has this in the bag essentially. I would still love a surprise win from Eisenberg or Franco.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Mine: 1) Natalie Portman for Black Swan
2) Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
3) Tilda Swinton for I Am Love
4) Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone
5) Emma Stone for Easy A
Theirs: Tilda and Emma are not certain, especially Emma because of the “low Oscar appeal” of the film. They will put Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine and maybe even Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (as she was the lead).
Winner- This is clearly a new versus old, drama versus comedy, goddess versus angel category. That means it will be either Bening or Portman, though I think Portman will bag the Oscar,
Best Original Screenplay
Mine: 1) Christopher Nolan for Inception
2) Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin for Black Swan
3) Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich for Toy Story 3
4) Sofia Coppola for Somewhere
5) Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right
Theirs: I don’t know who they’ll replace, but Blue Valentine and Animal Kingdom are strong contenders. Sofia Coppola will be replaced by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson for The Fighter
Winner: I really think it should go to Inception, but Black Swan or The Kids Are All Right may be a surprise.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Mine: 1) Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
2) Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for 127 Hours
3) Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for The Winter’s Bone
4) Roman Polanski and Robert Harris for The Ghost Writer
5) Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall for Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Theirs: The last two are highly doubtful to get any love from the AMPAs and the 127 Hours team is on shaky grounds too. The Coen Brothers will probably be nominated for True Grit along with David Lindsay-Abaire for Rabbit Hole.
Winner: Aaron Sorkin has to win for what he did with Accidental Billionaires and how he turned it into the absolutely wonderful Social Network.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mine: 1) Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech
2) Jeremy Renner in The Town
3) Andrew Garfield in The Social Netwok
4) Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
5) Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Theirs: AMPAs will probably put Christian Bale here. Also Pierce Brosnan from The Ghost Writer would be a good surprise. Andrew G. and Mark Ruffalo have a relatively shaky position.
Winner: In my list- Geoffrey Rush, though Andrew G. winning would be a spectacular thing to watch. A list with Bale will have Bale taking the Oscar home in his Bat Mobile.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Mine: 1) Barbara Hershey for Black Swan
2) Amy Adams for The Fighter
3) Melissa Leo for The Fighter
4) Olivia Williams for The Ghost Writer
5) Elle Fanning for Somewhere
Theirs: Mila Kunis can come for Black Swan and they’ll probably put Hailee Steinfeld here along with Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech. Imagine if Rooney Mara for Social Network lands here.
Winner: I thought that Barbara Hershey was a much more unforgettable and dysfunctional mother than Melissa Leo this year. I hope the AMPAs do too.
Let's see how it goes. And fingers crossed o'course.
Final Adieu to 2010
So...I finally watched all the "Oscar-worthy" films of 2010. Well, as many as possible. No more 2010 films for now. Just general ones, of any year. This is a final compilation of all possible lists regarding 2010 films
A. Best Films
So I had already made an incomplete list of top ten 2010 films here. Now I could make a top ten list again, but instead I'll include films and their ranks till whichever place the previous number 10 spot had been. It adds up to an even top 20. Ain't I just awesome?
The New List (those in the previous list don't have a description):
1) The Social Network
2) 127 Hours- Oh My Lord! Why did Danny Boyle not make this two years back and win the Oscar for this instead of the over-hyped Slumdog Millionaire?? This film was incredible! James Franco, in his one man show, between a rock and a very hard place, and the gorgeous editting and edge-of-the-seat feel- this film is certainly one of the best this year. It's rather unfortunate it fell out of everyone's award radar, but not mine. My brain totally fuzzled in a certain would-have-been-gross-of-not-superbly-yet-chillingly-filmed-gem-of-a-scene. You know what I'm talking about *wink*.
3) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
4) Inception
5) Black Swan- Yes, an upgrade (technically not). Not because I love the now number 6 less, but after a reviewing, I love and respect Black Swan more. For Millepeid baby!
6) Easy A
7) Toy Story 3
8) Never Let Me Go
9) The King's Speech- The very first public speech in the film, when Colin Firth as King George VI or Bertie struggles to take words out of his mouth, and the echoes...oh my heart melted. Mr. Firth is a very well-spoken Englishman, but when he transformed himself into this reluctant stammering king, an unparalleled performance of a lifetime along with cinematic magic took place. Beautiful film, and great supporting performances from both "geisha girl" Geoffrey Rush and "exquisite and no-nonsense queen" Helena Bonham Carter.
10) I Love You Phillip Morris- Why does noone care about this incredibly hilarious and heart-warming film? Probably the two most underrated and under-appreciated leading men in Hollywood- Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star in this sweet, fantastical romantic comedy that really happened. It really did.
11) I Am Love- Tilda the Goddes! She's incredible and this film, so beautifully shot mostly in sunny and snowy Italy, in quite lovely too. A simple and complicated story of a high-class Italian family and their little secrets and lives, I Am Love is the only foreign-language film I saw of last year and it mesmerised me completely.
12) Somewhere- Oh so beautiful...one of the biggest tragedies of my life is that I'm not a character in a Sofia Coppola film. I love the way everyone looks in her films, especially her women. And in this film, it was the stunning Elle Fanning. She plays the daughter of the eternally bored and widely loved actor Stephen Dorff, who's existence is confined within his weird-ass room in the very shady Chateau Marmont. Sounds boring? Believe you me, it's not, because thw way it is shot and feels and how unknowingly we feel for both the father and daughter is what the Sofia Coppola touch is all about.
13) Scott Pilgrim vs The World
14) The Town- I hate Ben Affleck. But still I could not deny the energy and the smoothness of this film. It was a great crime film, and the performance by Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm make it very interesting to see.
15) The Ghost Writer
16) True Grit- I'm not one for westerns, having had seen only 3 in my whole life. But this film was something else. Maybe it was because it was written and made by the Coen Brothers. Maybe because it starred the Dude. Maybe because it has a character called La Beouf played by the always brilliant Matt Damon. Maybe it was because it marks the beginning of the gorgeous and superb Haille Steinfeld. I don't know, but I sure did enjoy it.
17) Blue Valentine- Fact of life: Ryan Gosling with a balding scalp can make me earthquake as much as Ryan Gosling without a balding scalp can. Now that that's established, I have to say what a great actor, and what an intense performance. Also that the almost equally accomplished Michelle Williams was able to stand up to him. A bittersweet film if there ever was one.
18) The Fighter- Finally Christian Bale'sm mazing body transformations caught attention of critics, along with nutritionalists. It's unfortunate that he's receviving acclaim as the supporting actor, as he is clearly a co-lead. Mark Wahlberg too, has completed his transformation from Marky Mark to one of the most dedicated actors in Hollywood. Add to that actual and equally brilliant supporting roles from Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, The Fighter adds up to a highly enjoyable and touching sports film.
19) The Kids Are All Right- It stars two of my favourite middle-aged actresses who can always light-up the screen with their faces and performances. I love Annette "The Goddess" Bening and Julianne "The Darling" Moore! And such a sweet film. Mark Ruffalo was too cool. A very enjoyable dramedy, though a bit too loved by the crtics.
20) Kick Ass
B. My Favourite Performances of 2010:
1) Colin Firth as King George VI- the stuttering, the pain, the anger, the warmth. Also the build-up from last year's equally amazing A Single Man. Beautiful performance from Mr. Firth, who I like just the way he is- a king.
2) Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers- The way she controls herself and the way she loses the control- so shocking and poignant and scary. The effort that she put in, both to become a pro ballerina and give just the most incredible performance, is groundbreaking.
3) James Franco as Aron Ralston- To carry a whole film alone, confined in a small scary place, and blowing the audience's mind, that's just a bit of the work Mr. Franco did in 127 Hours. And we all know, what he did, we can never do.
4) Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg- From the assumed confidence to the apparent self-doubt, from the assholeness to the loneliness, every emotion on Eisenberg's face and voice showed clear as water. A very brilliant performance, but I sure hope it won't be his best as he obviously has a lot to offer.
5) Christian Bale as Dickey Ward- It's scary whenever he loses the weight, but this performance balanced it out. Amazing.
6) Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Tommy D- Two beautiful and heart-wrenching performances. I'm so proud of him.
7) Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast- She delivered. Like noone else. The King's Speech had period drama, Black Swan had Aronofsky's twisted vision, The Social Network had Sorkin's witty script. Easy A had Emma Stone. 'Nuff said.
8) Jim Carrey as Steven Russel- He's such a funny man and this might be one of his best performances to date. He knows what is over the top, and he does it so well that it becomes believable. It's such an excellent quality...how does Hollywood not see it?? How???????????
9) Ryan Gosling as Dean Pereira- He's funny, musical, goofy, loving, forgiving and gorgeous. What an actor!
10) Annette Bening as Nic- She's strong and funny and sad, and the moment she breaks out in a Joni Mitchell medley we know what a performance this is. I love her.
11) Elle Fanning as Cleo Marco- She's so beautiful, and in her aloof childlike performance, she wins thousands of hearts.
12) Tilda Swinton as Emma Recchi- The classy and quintessential wife of a rich Italian household, with a dirty secret. The camera loves her, maybe because of her beauty or maybe because even when she does nothing, she's acting.
13) Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly- The big discovery of this year. She's so natural, and my new favourite young actress.
14) Chloe Mortez as Hit Girl/Mindy Macready- Awesome. No other word. And well, kick ass!
15) Emma Watson as Hermione Granger- The prettiest girl in the world, and also one of the strongest. She held all Harry, Ron and the film together.
16) Jeremy Renner as James "Jem" Coughlin- Violent and volitile, his performance fuels the film.
17) Hailee Steinfeld as Mattiie Ross- Not supporting, definitely lead. What a future this young lady has has...gives me chills.Honourable mentions- Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly and everyone in Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
C. My Favourite Scenes of 2010:
1) The Transformation in Black Swan- I forgot the most basic of all living things functions during this scene- how to breathe. And I'm not exaggerating.
2) Deathly Hallows Story in Harry Potter 7- what a pleasant and unforgettable surprise. Fueled by Emma Watson's beautiful voice.
3) The Condescending scene in The Social Network- BAM! Diss! Awesome!
4) The Video scene in 127 Hours- It was funny and tragic at the same time.
5) Pocket Full O' Sunshine in Easy A- I need that damn card!
6) The End of Toy Story 3- Not gonna ruin the surprise for those who haven't seen it, but I really love Woody and Andy.
7) The Betrayal in The Social Network- Eisenberg's face and Andrew's suit and anger.
8) The Beginning of Scott Pilgrim vs The World- Votte way to start a film. The credits don't roll by, they shock and startle.
9) The Hand in 127 Hours- Painfully brilliant.
10) Harry and Hermione Dance in Harry Potter 7- Poignant and beautiful, kills the romantic in me...in a good way.
11) Black Sheep in Scott Pilgrim vs The World- I guess the best singing part in the film, though there are loads to choose from.
12) The Joni Medley in The Kids Are All Right- So random and funny and sweet. I love Annette.
13) The Ice-Skating in Somewhere- Elle Fanning ice-skates to Gewn Stefani’s Cool in a beautiful light blue costume while Stephen Dorff and the audience watches on. With the Sofia Coppola effect ofcourse.
14) You Always Hurt the One You Love scene in Blue Valentine- This scene is magical. Ryan Gosling’s lovely voice accompanied by Michelle Williams’ adorable tap dancing, while they innocently sing out the story of the whole film.
15) The King’s Speech in The King’s Speech- One feels strangely proud watching it.
16) The Scream in Never Let Me Go- Heart-breaking as hell.
All in all, 2010 was in my opinion one of the best years for films. Maybe it's because I've never cared like this, or because I was able to see so many of the films, but still this year gave me and everyone some really memorable films, performances and moments.
Ten-twenty years from now, people will still be talking about what happened at the end of Inception and Black Swan, still wondering the truth behind The Social Network and The King's Speech, still being amazed by the true life tales of 127 Hours and I Love You Phillip Morris and of course, still loving Harry Potter 7.
It was also a great year for breakthroughs- Andrew G, Emma Stone, Mila Kunis, Elle Fanning, Noomy Rapace, Jennifer Lawrence, Mia Wasikowska, Rooney Mara, Chloe Mortez, Hailee Steinfeld etc.
A. Best Films
So I had already made an incomplete list of top ten 2010 films here. Now I could make a top ten list again, but instead I'll include films and their ranks till whichever place the previous number 10 spot had been. It adds up to an even top 20. Ain't I just awesome?
The New List (those in the previous list don't have a description):
1) The Social Network
2) 127 Hours- Oh My Lord! Why did Danny Boyle not make this two years back and win the Oscar for this instead of the over-hyped Slumdog Millionaire?? This film was incredible! James Franco, in his one man show, between a rock and a very hard place, and the gorgeous editting and edge-of-the-seat feel- this film is certainly one of the best this year. It's rather unfortunate it fell out of everyone's award radar, but not mine. My brain totally fuzzled in a certain would-have-been-gross-of-not-superbly-yet-chillingly-filmed-gem-of-a-scene. You know what I'm talking about *wink*.
3) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
4) Inception
5) Black Swan- Yes, an upgrade (technically not). Not because I love the now number 6 less, but after a reviewing, I love and respect Black Swan more. For Millepeid baby!
6) Easy A
7) Toy Story 3
8) Never Let Me Go
9) The King's Speech- The very first public speech in the film, when Colin Firth as King George VI or Bertie struggles to take words out of his mouth, and the echoes...oh my heart melted. Mr. Firth is a very well-spoken Englishman, but when he transformed himself into this reluctant stammering king, an unparalleled performance of a lifetime along with cinematic magic took place. Beautiful film, and great supporting performances from both "geisha girl" Geoffrey Rush and "exquisite and no-nonsense queen" Helena Bonham Carter.
10) I Love You Phillip Morris- Why does noone care about this incredibly hilarious and heart-warming film? Probably the two most underrated and under-appreciated leading men in Hollywood- Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star in this sweet, fantastical romantic comedy that really happened. It really did.
11) I Am Love- Tilda the Goddes! She's incredible and this film, so beautifully shot mostly in sunny and snowy Italy, in quite lovely too. A simple and complicated story of a high-class Italian family and their little secrets and lives, I Am Love is the only foreign-language film I saw of last year and it mesmerised me completely.
12) Somewhere- Oh so beautiful...one of the biggest tragedies of my life is that I'm not a character in a Sofia Coppola film. I love the way everyone looks in her films, especially her women. And in this film, it was the stunning Elle Fanning. She plays the daughter of the eternally bored and widely loved actor Stephen Dorff, who's existence is confined within his weird-ass room in the very shady Chateau Marmont. Sounds boring? Believe you me, it's not, because thw way it is shot and feels and how unknowingly we feel for both the father and daughter is what the Sofia Coppola touch is all about.
13) Scott Pilgrim vs The World
14) The Town- I hate Ben Affleck. But still I could not deny the energy and the smoothness of this film. It was a great crime film, and the performance by Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm make it very interesting to see.
15) The Ghost Writer
16) True Grit- I'm not one for westerns, having had seen only 3 in my whole life. But this film was something else. Maybe it was because it was written and made by the Coen Brothers. Maybe because it starred the Dude. Maybe because it has a character called La Beouf played by the always brilliant Matt Damon. Maybe it was because it marks the beginning of the gorgeous and superb Haille Steinfeld. I don't know, but I sure did enjoy it.
17) Blue Valentine- Fact of life: Ryan Gosling with a balding scalp can make me earthquake as much as Ryan Gosling without a balding scalp can. Now that that's established, I have to say what a great actor, and what an intense performance. Also that the almost equally accomplished Michelle Williams was able to stand up to him. A bittersweet film if there ever was one.
18) The Fighter- Finally Christian Bale'sm mazing body transformations caught attention of critics, along with nutritionalists. It's unfortunate that he's receviving acclaim as the supporting actor, as he is clearly a co-lead. Mark Wahlberg too, has completed his transformation from Marky Mark to one of the most dedicated actors in Hollywood. Add to that actual and equally brilliant supporting roles from Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, The Fighter adds up to a highly enjoyable and touching sports film.
19) The Kids Are All Right- It stars two of my favourite middle-aged actresses who can always light-up the screen with their faces and performances. I love Annette "The Goddess" Bening and Julianne "The Darling" Moore! And such a sweet film. Mark Ruffalo was too cool. A very enjoyable dramedy, though a bit too loved by the crtics.
20) Kick Ass
B. My Favourite Performances of 2010:
1) Colin Firth as King George VI- the stuttering, the pain, the anger, the warmth. Also the build-up from last year's equally amazing A Single Man. Beautiful performance from Mr. Firth, who I like just the way he is- a king.
2) Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers- The way she controls herself and the way she loses the control- so shocking and poignant and scary. The effort that she put in, both to become a pro ballerina and give just the most incredible performance, is groundbreaking.
3) James Franco as Aron Ralston- To carry a whole film alone, confined in a small scary place, and blowing the audience's mind, that's just a bit of the work Mr. Franco did in 127 Hours. And we all know, what he did, we can never do.
4) Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg- From the assumed confidence to the apparent self-doubt, from the assholeness to the loneliness, every emotion on Eisenberg's face and voice showed clear as water. A very brilliant performance, but I sure hope it won't be his best as he obviously has a lot to offer.
5) Christian Bale as Dickey Ward- It's scary whenever he loses the weight, but this performance balanced it out. Amazing.
6) Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Tommy D- Two beautiful and heart-wrenching performances. I'm so proud of him.
7) Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast- She delivered. Like noone else. The King's Speech had period drama, Black Swan had Aronofsky's twisted vision, The Social Network had Sorkin's witty script. Easy A had Emma Stone. 'Nuff said.
8) Jim Carrey as Steven Russel- He's such a funny man and this might be one of his best performances to date. He knows what is over the top, and he does it so well that it becomes believable. It's such an excellent quality...how does Hollywood not see it?? How???????????
9) Ryan Gosling as Dean Pereira- He's funny, musical, goofy, loving, forgiving and gorgeous. What an actor!
10) Annette Bening as Nic- She's strong and funny and sad, and the moment she breaks out in a Joni Mitchell medley we know what a performance this is. I love her.
11) Elle Fanning as Cleo Marco- She's so beautiful, and in her aloof childlike performance, she wins thousands of hearts.
12) Tilda Swinton as Emma Recchi- The classy and quintessential wife of a rich Italian household, with a dirty secret. The camera loves her, maybe because of her beauty or maybe because even when she does nothing, she's acting.
13) Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly- The big discovery of this year. She's so natural, and my new favourite young actress.
14) Chloe Mortez as Hit Girl/Mindy Macready- Awesome. No other word. And well, kick ass!
15) Emma Watson as Hermione Granger- The prettiest girl in the world, and also one of the strongest. She held all Harry, Ron and the film together.
16) Jeremy Renner as James "Jem" Coughlin- Violent and volitile, his performance fuels the film.
17) Hailee Steinfeld as Mattiie Ross- Not supporting, definitely lead. What a future this young lady has has...gives me chills.Honourable mentions- Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly and everyone in Scott Pilgrim vs The World.
C. My Favourite Scenes of 2010:
1) The Transformation in Black Swan- I forgot the most basic of all living things functions during this scene- how to breathe. And I'm not exaggerating.
2) Deathly Hallows Story in Harry Potter 7- what a pleasant and unforgettable surprise. Fueled by Emma Watson's beautiful voice.
3) The Condescending scene in The Social Network- BAM! Diss! Awesome!
4) The Video scene in 127 Hours- It was funny and tragic at the same time.
5) Pocket Full O' Sunshine in Easy A- I need that damn card!
6) The End of Toy Story 3- Not gonna ruin the surprise for those who haven't seen it, but I really love Woody and Andy.
7) The Betrayal in The Social Network- Eisenberg's face and Andrew's suit and anger.
8) The Beginning of Scott Pilgrim vs The World- Votte way to start a film. The credits don't roll by, they shock and startle.
9) The Hand in 127 Hours- Painfully brilliant.
10) Harry and Hermione Dance in Harry Potter 7- Poignant and beautiful, kills the romantic in me...in a good way.
11) Black Sheep in Scott Pilgrim vs The World- I guess the best singing part in the film, though there are loads to choose from.
12) The Joni Medley in The Kids Are All Right- So random and funny and sweet. I love Annette.
13) The Ice-Skating in Somewhere- Elle Fanning ice-skates to Gewn Stefani’s Cool in a beautiful light blue costume while Stephen Dorff and the audience watches on. With the Sofia Coppola effect ofcourse.
14) You Always Hurt the One You Love scene in Blue Valentine- This scene is magical. Ryan Gosling’s lovely voice accompanied by Michelle Williams’ adorable tap dancing, while they innocently sing out the story of the whole film.
15) The King’s Speech in The King’s Speech- One feels strangely proud watching it.
16) The Scream in Never Let Me Go- Heart-breaking as hell.
Ten-twenty years from now, people will still be talking about what happened at the end of Inception and Black Swan, still wondering the truth behind The Social Network and The King's Speech, still being amazed by the true life tales of 127 Hours and I Love You Phillip Morris and of course, still loving Harry Potter 7.
It was also a great year for breakthroughs- Andrew G, Emma Stone, Mila Kunis, Elle Fanning, Noomy Rapace, Jennifer Lawrence, Mia Wasikowska, Rooney Mara, Chloe Mortez, Hailee Steinfeld etc.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
"I want my life to be like an 80s movie, preferably with one a really awesome musical number, for no apparent reason."- Olive Penderghast, Easy A
Reason or no reason, we all love it when actors in films burst out into songs. It's sooo much fun. So this list is dedicated to those fantastic cinema moments.
Note: It's only one song in the films. This is not about musicals.
Marty McFly from Back To The Future is a legend, especially when he starts singing Chuck Berry's classic Johnny B Goode.
"I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it."
I Say A Little Prayer from My Best Friend's Wedding. Rupert Everett is so awesome!!
So technically this is lip syncing, but this scene in Bridget Jones's Diary is as epic as they come. True Renee Zelweger sang brilliantly as Roxie Hart, but All By Myself is a whole another level.
Moon River by Audrey Hepburn/ Holly Golightly. This song is so poignant, and it explains the loneliness that Holly felt, and how Paul saw her.
Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Heath Ledger/ Patrick Verona. If you are a girl, you have and dont deny it, dreamed of this happening to you.
Yes I could have put Knock On Wood- the song she actually sings in the film, but Pocket Full Of Sunshine and Olive Penderghast from now on go hand in hand. I need that damn card.
Oh Annette! God I love her, and her character Nick in The Kids Are All Right. If any actress deserves the Best Actress Oscar this year, except Natalie Portman, it's this screen goddess. Joni Mitchell would be happy.
Jingle Bell Rock from Mean Girls. Every girl knows this song. Period.
It Seems Like Old Times by Diane Keaton/Annie Hall. The character and the film are unforgettable. One of the reasoms we and Alvey Singer/ Woody Allen love Annie so much is because she is an absolute divine singer.
Baby It's Cold Outside by Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrel. I love this song and this movie and this situation. I love how their voices compliment each other, and how in the end he bangs into the lockers.
Don't Rain on My Parade by Annette Bening/ Caroline Burnham. This just shows how much I love this woman, and she deserves it completely.
It was only fair to put this after All By Myself. Chris O' Dowd brings sorrow and humour together in his superbly lip synced Stay With Me Baby by Lorraine Ellison.
A Waltz for a Night by Julie Delpy/ Celine. Oh how I love this film and her and this song. Simply gorgeous.
Twist and Shout by Ferris Beuller. You know how mindblastingly uber famous this song and this scene is. I worship it.
Other musical numbers I wanted to put, but could not find videos of are- the french song Kirsten Dunst sings in Marie Antoinette, Here Comes Your Man and Sugar Daddy from (500) Days of Summer, Killing Me Softly with His Song from About A Boy, Can't Take My Eyes of You from Drop Dead Gorgeous and ofcourse Christmas is All Around from Love Actually.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
2011 Films!
It's 2011. And that means a whole new year with lots and lots and lots of films to watch. So here is my list of the announced titles I found interesting. Enjoy.
Will be good, no matter what-
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2- It’s ending *a happy sniff*. The series which made me who I am, and defined my whole generation comes to an end this year. Biggest cinematic event ever.
2. The Green Hornet- Seth Rogen, Christoph Waltz and Jay Chou in a Michel Gondry film. And have you seen the trailer? It’s epic!!
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- David Fincher <3. Rooney Mara in one of the most coveted roles in recent cinematic history, and Daniel Craig too. Let’s hope the credits would say- from the Oscar-winning director of The Social Network.
4. The Ides of March- George Clooney’s political Drama, starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pine, Paul Giamatti and Marisa Tomei. *shudders with joy*
5. X Men: First Class- Starring the two men who I predict will rule the film charts this year- James McAvoy as young Proffesor X and Michael Fassbender as young Magneto.
6. Fright Night- Anton Yelchin starring as a popular high school boy whose new neighbor is a vampire, played by Colin Farrell. Cool or what? It also stars Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Mclovin!
7. Your Highness- From the creators of Pineapple Express, stars James Franco and Natalie Portman. ‘Nuff said.
8. A Dangerous Method- A story about Sigmund Fred and Carl Jung. Starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley and Vincent Cassel. Such a good feeling about this film!
9. Restless- Gus Van Sant’s romantic drama that looks an awful lot like Harold and Maude.
10. Sherlock Holmes 2- RDJ, Jude Law, Stephen Fry, Rachael McAdams and Guy Ritchie. Gah, the awesomeness!
11. Hop- Russel Brand playing an animated rabbit!! I just died of excitement.
12. Rango- Johnny Depp playing an animated chameleon, directed by Gore Verbinsky. Same reaction as above.
13. The Tree of Life- The trailer is just beautiful. Terrence Mallick’s drama starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
14. Super 8- The damned teaser trailer had me at the edge of my seat. All I know is that it has Elle Fanning and made by J.J. Abrams.
15. Beginners- The plot summary had me rolling with excitement. Starring the lovely Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Melanie “Shosanna” Laurent.
16. Hesher- Joseph Gordon-Levitt looking like a bum, and Natalie Portman. Oooh.
17. Crazy, Stupid, Love- Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in one film!
18. The Three Musketeers- Oh just the cast is making me earthquake. Logan Lerman, Matthew Mcfayden, Orlando Bloom and best of all, Christoph Waltz.
19. Arthur Christmas- Animated film about Santa’s misfit son with voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Jim Broadbent.
20. The Rum Diary- Johnny Depp’s much anticipated role.
Really hope that they’ll be good, but have a bad feeling that they might suck-
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides- I don’t know. I can’t help it. The trailer looks too much and Rob Marshall is a bit dramatic.
2. Hangover 2- It’s just so hard to match up to the first part, especially because it is a comedy. I think they’re gonna fail.
3. The Beaver- It looks interesting and I love Jodie Foster, but Mel Gibson’s kinda nuts.
4. On The Road- Adapting a book like this, with so much cultural influence, seems pretty impossible. And I just cannot see Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart as Dean Moriarty and Marylou.
5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon- The teaser trailer was plain awful. The new female lead seems dismal. I don’t know how Michael Bay and Shia Labeouf are going to pick it up from the slightly bad Transformers 2.
6. Paul- I really want this to rock, especially because of the Shaun of the Dead team and Greg Mottola of Superbad and Adventureland, but the trailer looks really random.
7. Jane Eyre- Again, adapting a book like this, and that too in a two-hour film. It has Michael Fassbender, Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell and Dame Judy Dench though.
8. Captain America: The First Avenger- I don’t like the superhero. But I have faith in Chris Evans.
9. Water for Elephants- The trailer looks boring, but I know the plot, which is infinitely interesting. This film is resting on my faith in Christoph Waltz.
10. Bel Ami- Again, I have very less faith in Robert Pattinson, and Uma Thurman out of Tarantino films. But the plot’s super sexy.
11. The Wolverine- Darren Aronofsky is going to make it. It’s definitely gonna be a love-it-or-hate-it film.
12. Thor- Once again I don’t like the superhero or Chris Hemsworth. Natalie Portman might save it.
13. Red Riding Hood- It looks cool and has Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman and a couple of really hot guys, but it’s made by the director of Twilight and may suck, big time.
Films that I’m pretty sure will suck so bad, that it’ll become a necessity to see them-
1. Sucker Punch- What is going on in Zach Snyder’s head? The trailer looks retarded.
2. Green Lantern- Oh look, Ryan Reynolds is Ben 10!
3. I Am Number Four- See below.
4. Beastly- Alex Pettyfer is the oddest leading man in Hollywood. He cannot act, has never delivered a hit film, but keeps getting roles, just because he is smoking hot. Kind of excited about Diana Argon, NPH and Mary-Kate Olsen though. ( Considering both films)
5. Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World- What? Why? Stop!
6. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- No comments
7. Cowboys and Aliens- It looks mental, but it has cult hit written all over.
8. Season of the Witch- Nicholas Cage- what happened to your Adaptation days?
9. The Apparition- It has some dumb plot, but it also has Tom “Malfoy” Felton.
10. From Prada to Nada- HAHAHAHA…look at the name.
Other films I am looking forward to- (I’m just going to comment on a few)
1. No Strings Attached- Super-duper hot.
2. Waiting For Forever- It’s finally going to come out.
3. The Rite
4. The Way Back
5. London Boulevard
6. The Eagle
7. Limitless
8. The Smurfs- One of my most favourite cartoons of all time.
9. Friends with Benefits
10. Zookeeper
11. 30 Minutes or Less
12. The Conspirator
13. The Dilemma
14. The Help
15. Drive- Can’t wait. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.
16. Anonymous- Fantastic concept about a man who actually wrote all of Shakespeare’s stuff. Starring Rhys Ifans.
17. Dream House
18. Contagion- What a cast- Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lawrence Fishburn.
19. Wanderlust
20. Puss in Boots- Better be good. Shrek Forevere After left a bad taste in my mouth.
21. Happy Feet 2- Yaaay! And it has Brad Pitt. I do not approve of the 3-D thing though.
22. Gnomeo and Juliet- James McAvoy, in another animated film which is about rival garden gnomes.
23. The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made
24. Hugo Cabret- Martin Scorcese’s next.
25. Rio
26. Hanna
27. Haywire
28. What’s Your Number?
29. Rise of the Apes
30. Cars 2
31. Kung Fu Panda 2
32. One Day- I swear I’d thought of this story atleast 3 years ago.
33. This Means War- Oh so epic- Chris Pine and Tom Hardy fighting over Reese Witherspoon.
34. My Week with Marilyn- Emma Watson’s new flick, with Michelle Williams as the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe.
35. My Idiot Brother- Paul Rudd starrer, have a really good feeling about it.
36. We Bought a Zoo
37. Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen’s next with Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen and Rachel McAdams.
38. Arthur- Russel Brand and Helen Mirren in one film!
39. Melancholia
40. Mars Needs Moms
Films I might watch, but no pressure really-
1. Immortals- Sounds an awful lot like the terrible Clash of the Titans.
2. New Year’s Eve- As much as I love him, Garry Marshall should learn from his previous mistakes (Valentine’s Day)
3. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol- What a gay name. Why is Brad Bird making it?
4. Just Go With It- Stolen from a Hindi film.
5. Perks of Being a Wallflower- Whatever happened to it starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson. I fail you.
6. Wanted 2- The first one was way too OTT.
7. Scream 4- Bleh.
8. Fast Five- Seriously STOP.
9. Big Momma’s: Like Father like Son- *gagging from the bile rising in my throat*
10. Source Code- Again bleh, even though it stars Jake Gyllenhaal.
11. Final Destination 5- The summary reads, “The fifth installment of the franchise in which teens escape a deadly accident only to later discover that death is hunting them down.” We’ve already seen this for the first 500 installments. Enough is enough.
What films are you excited about?
My Top Ten Films of 2010, Somewhat.
Oh another year has gone by and I feel as if I've done nothing substantial. Nonetheless, I did watch a few good films. And when I say few, I mean 2010 films. I think I've watched 10 (get the connection? No. Ofcourse). However, being the list-fiend I am, I'm still gonna make a Top-Ten Films of 2010 List!! Enjoy.
NOTE: I haven't seen 127 Hours, The Kids are All Right, Blue Valentine, The King's Speech, Winter's Bone, True Grit, I Am Love etc. And yes, I do know I should jump off a cliff before calling myself a film critic again.
1) The Social Network- What is left to say that I haven't said before? This film just gives me so much joy everytime I see it. Also, I realised today it was the funniest film I've seen this year. Also, Andrew Garfield stole my heart.
2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1- Never thought a Harry Potter film can surprise me like this. But HP7 just shook me, in a very very good way. Yes, most critics would kill me for alone putting this film on the list, and even more for putting it before the numbers 3 and 5, but the dance scene and the Deathly Hallows scene can stand up to any such animosity.
3) Inception- This is probably the coolest film of the year, or the decade. The whole concept is nothing short of revolutionary and the film might just become the uber-talented Christopher Nolan's magnum opus. Add to that a fantastic cast, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt stealing the show from Leo DiCaprio big time.
4) Easy A- I just love a good chick flick. And this one's pretty much on top this year. Emma Stone's brilliant breakthrough performance with a hilarious support cast and a really smart take on a beloved classic, Easy A is easily one of the year's best.
5) Black Swan- Darren Aronofsky's frightening and beautiful and melodramatic spin on the Swan Lake tale, with the excruciatingly stunning and talented Natalie Portman is a fantastic drama. Ah this film and it's dazzling look and feel, and the shock-factor. Quite perfect.
6) Toy Story 3- I saw this yesterday. I am very sorry for the late viewing, but still this film was just awesome!! I love Woody and Buzz and Andy! It's funny, magical and so touching at the same time. Best Animated Film his year by a mile.
7) Never Let Me Go- *wipes a tear off my face* God I loved this film. It just touched my heart so much. The story, the metaphor, Andrew and Carey. New Year Resolution- read the book.
8) Scott Pilgrim Vs the World- One might find it odd, but Michael Cera is amongst my most favourite leading men. And as the cute, confused, base-playing, ass-kicking Canadian Scott Pilgrim, he's too cool. The whole idea of the film, the way it's been made, the total lack of explanation for Scott's and Ramona's and her seven evil exes' superhuman fighting ability, and the whole comic book feel is so very novel. And I just love Kieran Culkin, and Wallace Wells is friggin' magnificent. Allison Pill, Anna Kendrick and Jason Schwartzman are superb too. I just saw that it's tagline is "An Epic of Epic Epicnes". Mindblasted.
Okay, now thinking back, I did see more than 10 films, but these were the cream.
New Year Resolution- I'll watch EVERYTHING in 2011.
HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)