Thoughts

        Just as I was writing this post, the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death came rushing through social media. Hoffman was a truly gifted actor. My first thought was the scene in The Master when he's in the cell next to Joaquin Phoenix and while the latter is going apeshit crazy, Hoffman's just standing there but we're still transfixed by him. Such was his screen presence. And the fact that he was just 46 is devastating. Both my parents are older than that and it's scary. Hoffman made every film he was in better. He will be sorely missed by film fans all over the world. One of the best we ever had. RIP.

          Going back to the trivial. (I'm sorry for the tonal shift)

1) Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as Lex Luthor for the Batmas versus Superman movie. I'm sorry but WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT?????????!!!!!!! Usually I am all for unconventional casting choices but this is proper Batshit (haha, like Batfleck) crazy. I know everyone's all like oh Luthor and Superman will be the same age and Eisenberg can play a great asshole etc. but that doesn't mean he should play Lex Luthor! I will admit that people trying to explain how Luthor and Mark Zuckerberg are the same person is pretty hilarious. Still, all I can visualise is Eisenberg doing a Dr. Evil. And please, just don't make him bald. His hair is beautiful. It's like real-life hobbit hair! He'll also look like a child in front of Henry Cavill's Superman. I mean, I knew this was going to be a terrible movie but I'm actually scared now. Has Eisenberg been hanging out with Shia LaBeouf? Why would he say yes to this? Is this like a social experiment? I don't understand!!!

2) All this madness has overshadowed an actual inspired casting choice in the same movie. Jeremy Irons will play Alfred. That's kind of awesome but still a big fat no to Eisenberg as Luthor. I'm going to go hug my The Social Network DVD and cry now.

3) Colin Farrell has replaced Jason Clarke in Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster. This is pretty exciting because I think Farrell is can be an amazing actor who just doesn't get the right roles that often. He was one of the best things about Saving Mr. Banks too. Rachel Weisz has joined the cast as well, which already includes Lea Seydoux and Ben Whishaw. This is going to be some movie.

4) So JK Rowling has announced that she regrets pairing Hermione with Ron and that she should have been with Harry instead. I love Ron and Hermione, but I feel in the movies especially, Harry and Hermione worked exceptionally well. And well, anything that breaks off the Harry-Ginny pairing is good in my eyes. Eitherways, this could turn into a very interesting drama about betrayal and heartbreak mixed with magic, so that could be cool! The only thing I feel bad about is the whole Ron is always the second-best concept. Fuck you and WEASLEY IS OUR KING!! I hope he ends up with some nice part-Veela.

5) In spite of her claims of wanting to take a break from acting, Jennifer Lawrence may star in yet another David O. Russell film. One of the co-writers of Bridesmaids, Annie Mumulo has written a script about Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop (wtf is that? Someone explain in the comments) and her rags to riches story. I do find the whole concept funny and I think JLaw can pull it off. Anyways, one has to wonder when this film will see the light of day since both JLaw and Russell are busy with other projects. Also, this Mangano lady also invented something called the Huggable Hangers so yaaay, SEQUEL!

6) Everyone is watching and loving True Detective, yes? If not, I don't think we can be friends anymore. That show is going AHMAZING and I think this will be Matthew McConaughey's finest performance ever. The writer of the show, Nic Pizzolatto, is already working on a draft for the second season and at the same time, his first book Galveston is heading for the big screen. I don't think Pizzolatto is writing the screenplay but the synopsis of the book is pretty cool and quite cinematic too. Matthias Schoenaerts is going to star in the movie.

7) Other casting stuff- Kyle Chandler, who was awesome in The Wolf of Wall Street, has joined the ever-impressive cast of Todd Haynes' Carol. Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan will reunite for College Republicans which tells the true story of the College Republican Chairman campaign of 1973. The film will be directed by their Kill Your Darlings director, John Krokidas. I like this pairing too much. In spite of all the dirty politics, the story is apparently something of a buddy comedy which sounds intriguing. Brie Larson will star in The Good Luck of Right Now, based on the book of the same name written by Matthew Quick, who also wrote Silver Linings Playbook, and will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who directed Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks. To this I say, FUCK YEAH!!!! Larson was one of the biggest surprises of 2013 for me and everyone else involved in this project is awesome. Benedict Cumberbatch will star in Blood Mountain, which follows a private military contractor who has to escort a very dangerous terrorist through a hostile region to bring him to justice. The film sounds pretty gritty and being a Cumberbitch, I am excited to see what Cumberbatch does with it. I am also a Pinenut and Chris Pine is going to play the protagonist in David Gordon Green's The Line, a thriller about a lonely patrol agent who has to protect a 10 year old child orphaned after a cartel shootout from people from both sides of the law. Again, this sounds exciting and I really want Pine to get a proper break because I think he's really talented. Felicity Jones will play Romeo's ex-lover Rosaline in Rosaline, written by the the people behind (500) Days of Summer. I think this can be a really funny story because as we all know, Rome and Juliet were idiots. Adrien Brody will star in Manhattan Nocturne about "a devoted husband and accomplished journalist who is asked by a seductive stranger to dig into the unsolved murder of her husband." I am forever waiting for Brody's next great performance so count me in! Finally, Liam Neeson has joined Martin Scorsese's next, Silence, about a Jesuit priest's journey to Japan and his encounter with religious persecution. The film also stars Andrew Garfield and Ken Watanabe. I want this movie now!

8) Coming back to TV, none other than Michael Pitt has joined the cast of the eagerly anticipated season 2 of Hannibal. He will be playing Mason Verger, the character played by Gary Oldman in the movie Hannibal. Few of us can ever forget Verger's mutilated face in the movie and it really is a scrumptious role (adjective keeping in theme with the show of course) as he is one of Hannibal Lecter's most brutal nemeses. Still, one would hope that we get to see Pitt's gorgeous face before Mads Mikkelsen's Hannibal has his way with him.

9) Links- Stevee lists down the Practical Reasons Why Leo DiCaprio Doesn't/Shouldn't Have an Oscar Yet, Tumblr. It's pretty accurate and everyone should read it. Margaret talks about the aforementioned newest bestest show ever, True Detective. This weekend has seen a lot of talk about Dylan Farrow and Woody Allen and since I am such a fan of the latter's work, the weeks since the Golden Globes fiasco have been a sort of reassessment for me about what I believe in when it comes to things like this. The closest thing to what I feel and think is this fantastic article by Nathaniel R. of The Film Experience. Lastly, there have been wonderful articles all across the web about Philip Seymour Hoffman and there's no point linking to just a few. Check them all out.

10) Trailers- The first trailer of The Fault in Our Stars, which is based on John Green's fantastic love story about two teenagers with cancer, is out. People are going nuts about it. I admit that I got weepy while watching it too but I'm a bit concerned about how the trailer makes the story look almost sappy. One of my favourite things about the book and Green's writing in general is the sense of humour of his characters, which is what makes them so real. The trailer does show that Shailene Woodley is definitely the perfect Hazel though Ansel Elgort is still no Gus. The Rover looks quite bleak and though I haven't seen Animal Kingdom yet, I think I will like it. Love Guy Pearce and I think RPatz will be good in this. The trailer of Nymphomaniac part 2 keeps me as intrigued as always. Love the music. I liked Prince Avalanche a lot and its director David Gordon Green's new movie Joe has a trailer now. It stars Nicolas Cage and Tye Sheridan. It's great to see Cage doing something serious instead of stealing government documents or whatever, and Sheridan is still one of my most favourite performers of last year for his work in Mud, so I'm excited to see what he does too. I think I am one of the only people who found the trailer of Seth MacFarlaine's A Million Ways to Die in the West really funny. The "Mila Kunis" part killed me. One of my most favourite movies of last year, The Lunchbox has a US trailer out. Everyone should watch it. The latest trailer of Maleficent is the best one yet, thanks to Lana Del Rey's creepy rendition of "Once Upon A Dream" and Angelina Jolie's smile. I love it. Terry Gilliam is back with The Zero Theorem which has Christoph Waltz in the lead role, along with David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton and Ben Whishaw. It looks really weird and surreal, which is expected from Gilliam. It can either be something really fantastic or a total fail. I'm hoping for the former. A Long Way Down which based on a Nick Hornby book and stars Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots and Rosamund Pike, looks very sweet and heartwarming. While watching the Super Bowl trailer of Transformers: Age of Extinction, all I could think of was how much I wanted to rewatch Pacific Rim. Still, I am willing to give Michael Bay and Mark Wahlberg a chance after Pain and Gain. The jokes in the latest trailer of The Amazing Shit-Man 2 fall so flat that I don't get why they're trying at all. As it is the idea of a 30 year old teenage Peter Parker, Electro's look, Oscorp's abysmal security and an actual metal rhino are going to provide enough comic relief. I am only going to watch this film for Dane DeHaan because I already know that it will waste the talents of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone once again. DeHaan might make something meaty out of his role, and I like his face. It's nice. One only has to look at the trailer of Captain America: The Winter Soldier to see what all the Amazing Shit-Man team are doing wrong. The action looks great, there's proper intrigue in the trailer, the set pieces and the effects feel cinematic and the little joke at the end is actually funny because people aren't trying so hard. My two favourite trailers of last week are those of Beauty and the Beast and Enemy. The first looks so beautiful and I love the idea of Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel playing Belle and the Beast respectively. The latter looks like a most interesting psychological thriller and I adored Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners, which was his previous collaboration with Denis Villeneuve, the director of Enemy. I'm really stoked for both these films.

11) Finally, the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue has a non-whitewashed cover and it looks pretty great-

Who wants to be Julia Roberts? Raise your hands!! The women look gorgeous.

12) Really properly *finally*, I was going to post only this before but then the Vanity Fair cover released. Still, I feel that I need this on my blog on, like, principle-

Fuck off, Tom!

Have you guys read the Elle UK interview? The fangirlness is seeping from every letter. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so damn true.

Byeeeee!

Thoughts

Ha I had almost forgotten that this blog existed. Goddamn exams! Anyways, I am back now. Here's what my thoughts have been to film-related news of the past couple of weeks.

1) So Quentin Tarantino has announced that he is thinking about retiring after he is done with his tenth film, which if you count the two Kill Bill movies as one, is three films away. The reason he has given is that he wants to leave his career at a high. While the reasoning is somewhat logical, all I have to say is this- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! 
I need more Tarantino movies, like hundreds more. Obviously that's not possible, but he can at least increase his stupid limit. I honestly think he's a genius, so I don't know what he's worried about. Although the fact that he has kind of planned his life as if it were a movie, makes me love and worship him even more.

2) Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy may be starring in the Wikileaks movie together. Cumberbatch has already been cast as Julian Assange and McAvoy will probably play the disillusioned Wikileaks spokesperson Domscheit-Berg. Both of them have already starred together in Starter for 10 and Atonement. I am obviously incredibly excited by this new project and for seeing these two very talented and gorgeous, pretty-eyed and sexy-voiced British actors working together.

3) So The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel continues to cause me distress. The role of Harry Osbourne is now up for grabs and vying for it are people like Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Brady Corbet, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Sam Claflin and Boyd Holbrook. DeHaan, Ehrenreich and Redmayne are among my favourite young actors at present (haven't seen Ehrenreich in a film yet, but he's so pretty in the Sofia Coppola-Natalie Portman- Dior perfume ad). As it is I will probably watch the idiotic sequel because of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, and Shailene Woodley if she accepts the role of the goddawful Mary Jane, but it becomes so much harder to hate these films with such wonderful and good-looking talent involved. Burn Spidey, burn.

4) There is a Jackie Brown prequel in the works, which will be based on the book 'The Switch', written by Elmore Leonard. This book is a prequel of 'Rum Punch', which Jackie Brown was based upon. It will be about the characters Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara, who were played by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro in Jackie Brown respectively. The prequel will star Mos Def and John Hawkes in these respective roles. It will also star Isla Fisher as Maggie, who was played by Bridget Fonda in Jackie Brown. I am intrigued by this project and love the inclusion of Hawkes, who is a fine actor.

5) John Hawkes was among the many people interviewed in this year's batch of The Hollywood Reporter's Oscar Roundtables. I wait eagerly for these, though this year has been a bit disappointing so far. The Writers was kind of terrible because I just thought it was so odd to put Judd Apatow and Michael Haneke in the same room together. The Actors was rather good and maybe the most professional of the lot. The best was the Actresses, even though the interviewers suck at asking them the important questions. Still, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Naomi Watts, Sally Field, Marion Cotillard, Rachel Weisz (yaay!) and Amy Adams in one room together is too much brilliance. The Directors isn't out yet, and it is usually the one I enjoy the most.

6) Aaron Sorkin has announced that his script for the Steve Jobs biopic will be very unconventional- it will consist of three scenes of thirty minutes each, shot in real time. The three scenes will take place in the backstage during the product launches of Mac, NeXT and iPod. It sounds really novel and cool and I have trust in Sorkin (when he's not being too American) and cannot wait for this film to be made.

7) Did you know that I made a Bollywood syllabus with SDG for Ryan at The Matinee? SO EXCITED!!

8) Lots of trailers- World War Z which has quite an exciting trailer and Brad Pitt and fast zombies, who look a bit too CGI-ey but I'm sure it will be fine in the film. Still, the zombie movie I am more excited for is Warm Bodies, which looks hilarious. I mean, it's a zombie romcom people- a zomcom! The whole story is evident from the trailer but I love Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer is very pretty. The other supernatural Hoult movie with a trailer out is Jack the Giant Slayer, made by Bryan Singer and co-starring Ewan McGregor and Mark Strong. This looks a bit unfortunate, just like the other upcoming fairytale movie, Oz The Great and Powerful. This has a good cast- I am especially loving Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams in this mix, but god too much is going on in the trailer and if the film is like that, we have a guaranteed technicolor headache, people :/ Speaking of, now that Twilight is over, there are many movies that want to target that whole demographic and some of them have trailers out. First of all, we have the trailer of Stephenie Meyer's very own The Host that has Saoirse Ronan (why Saoirse, why), Max Irons (next RPatz maybe? Though with definite Jeremy Irons genes), Boyd Holbrook and Diane Kruger. I will say it looks less painful than Twilight. Next, Beautiful Creatures actually has Jeremy Irons in it, along with the likes of Emma Thompson and Viola Davis. The reason I mention them first and not the protagonists played by Alden Ehrenreich (pretty :-) ) and Jane Campion's daughter Alice Englert, is because this trailer is an absolute monstrosity and I don't understand how people of their caliber are starring in this movie. It also has Emmy Rossum, remember her? The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones stars Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower and looks okay-ish. I have heard good things about the books though, so we'll see. Jean Dujardin's next Mobius looks like a painfully predictable and stereotypical action-spy movie. Also I like seeing him happy- too much smouldering going on. A few comedies are also in the works- The Heat is made by the Bridesmaids folk and stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as cops. The trailer is quite bad, but I like the people involved. Tina Fey and Paul Rudd are two other people who I like a lot and they are starring in Admission, which looks sweet. Parental Guidance has Billy Crystal and Bette Midler playing Marissa Tomei's visiting parents. I think I will watch this when it comes on TV... at some point. One of the better trailers that I have seen is of Steven Soderbergh's next and possibly last theatrical feature *sniff* Side Effects. Love Rooney Mara being a crazy person, and Jude Law looks good too. Goddamn Channing Tatum continues to get good roles though, so that sucks balls. The king of trailers this week is Now You See Me, which has quite an excellent cast headed by Jesse Eisenberg, who I love like shit. There is also Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Dave Franco. The trailer and the premise looks intriguing enough, but I will say that there is a huge possibility of the film being really terrible, or conversely really good. Finally in the world of television, we have the trailer to the David Fincher- Kevin Spacey Netflix series House of Cards which looks fantastic. Only Fincher can get me excited about a show on US politics. It also stars Robin Wright, Kate Mara and Corey Stoll. And then we have the trailer to Doctor Who Christmas special The Snowmen, which will have Richard E. Grant playing the baddie and the introduction of the new companion Clara, played by Jenna Louise-Coleman who I have started to like a lot already. Accio Christmas!

9) Liked/loved The Cabin in the Woods? See this article on the its awesome opening titles.

10) Finally, just when you thought there possibly could not be anymore pictures of Ryan Gosling posted on this blog-

It's actually not sane how attracted I am to this poster. Reasons- 

a) Ryan Gosling

b) Nicolas Winding Refn

c) The beat-up face that reminds me of Fight Club

d) Beat-up Ryan Gosling

e) The fact that their previous film together was Drive

f) Ryan Gosling

I hope to blog loads now that exams are over. Tata!

Thoughts

Yes I am a couple of days late. Had to watch this huge adaptation which everyone loves etcetera etcetera.

1) Speaking of which, you know how many people are not going to watch The Hunger Games this weekend due to the crazy hype? I have decided not to review it because of the overwhelming number of reviews in my dash (all excellent ones o'course). My priority right now is the acquire the book asap, even though I am currently super broke. Also my mother, who I saw the movie with, does not approve of all the killing in it and thinks that I am crazy for wanting to read it. So glad I never saw Fight Club with her. My excellent best friend has suggested that I should sell her Twilight books online and buy The Hunger Games with the money. So proud of her :D

2) Photos- I did a poll on him, but I forgot to talk about how freaking amazing Daniel Radcliffe looks à la Allen Ginsberg on the set of Kill Your Darlings! Tumblr has exploded with fangirls crying over his poofy hair and perfect face and stuff. Also another Emma Watson has donned on some extensions for her role in Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring. Apparently she's not the lead, but she has some dance in it with a gun while being scantily dressed (so says Tumblr). Then there are photos of Hugh Jackman as Jean Valijean from the set of Les Miserables. It looks pretty intense, and if Tom Hooper makes this film properly, I may start to stop hating him a little bit for stealing that Oscar from David Fincher. And I might finally read the book. Lastly, there are photos from the set of To Rome With Love. Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page look adorable, but I liked the previous two names of the project, i.e., Bop Decameron and Nero Fiddled so much better.


3) Trailers- good week. It started with the awesome full trailer of Prometheus. I still don't get it completely, but it looks pretty darn amazing. It will definitely be a visual treat, if not anything else. Then another Charlize Theron flick, Snow White and the Huntsman has its official trailer out. This too looks spectacular, and I want a Queen Ravenna poster for my room. Then Abraham Lincolm: Vampire Hunter has another trailer out which gives us a little bit more insight into the film. I like the OTT aspect of this film and I think it will definitely be fun. Robert Pattinson is getting ready to totally shirk off his sparkly girl-toy image with Cosmopolis. The teaser looks completely insane. I don't know how much I will like the film, but I am pretty excited to see what Pattinson is going to do with such an extreme role. The almost opposite of him is Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan who is going to be seen in the Stephenie Meyers's "non-Twilight" book's adapatation, The Host. Why is she doing this? Also, what a terrible teaser.


4) Speaking of trailers, they showed the trailer of Street Dance 2 before The Hunger Games. It actually says it is "THE BIGGEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR". I mean do they really think that? I am all for ambition, but that is sort of extremely ridiculous. Also there was the trailer of the water Transformers movie, Battleship, which I had totally ignored. Why does it have Rihanna? Why does it have Alexander Skarsgård? And why is Liam Neeson in it?! What madness!!


5) New Doctor Who companion! Jenna-Louise Coleman. She seems sweet, but I desperately wanted a male companion for Matt Smith's Doctor. But according to head-writer and total troll Steven Moffat, she will meet him in the most surprising of ways, in the Christmas episode of this year. And the episode before that it the goodbye to Amy and Rory Pond, played by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. I cannot imagine Matt without Karen! How awful :'( This episode has the dreaded Weeping Angels returning, and "not everyone gets out alive this time". I really hope Moffat doesn't kill off the Ponds. That will be awful and I will cry buckets of tears. Also there is Doctor Who convention going on in Cardiff right now, and I am sitting in my room in a whole another continent. FML! (Sorry- had to vent).


6) Finally, did anyone notice how Peeta threw bread to Katniss in The Hunger Games? Too funny.

I regret nothing.

Byees.

“In a world where social structure was everything, that was THE thing.” ~FINAL WORDS ON MY BELOVED: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

        

Taken from The Film Experience Blog  

        I know...I really hope this is my last The Social Network themed post too. Not that my love for it has reduced, rather it has only been growing exponentially. But because there are only so many months you

should spend obsessing over a movie lest everyone looks at you as a crazy person (and they are now).


       So Oscars are 3 days away now and the big question arises- who will win Best Picture. My vote, as posted earlier, goes to The Social Network. But along with that, I want the film to win in almost all the other seven categories it has been nominated for (not cinematography so much- Roger Deakins for True Grit FTW). Award and Reasons:




        1) Editing- The editting in this film is mindblowing. Fincher (who I shall talk about below) is famous, or rather infamous for the many many takes he does on every scene. There is a reason for this, as only the best takes, angles, etc are chosen. This film was all over the place- dorm rooms, bars, lakes, offices, courtrooms, etc. The beauty of the film comes when it skips from one place to another, one person to another and that too at the precise point where as to create maximum interest. My favourite part- just watch the hacking scene.
       The Social Network is an almost lock for this, for all I have read. If not this, then 127 Hours as Danny Boyle films can never be as fantastic without the expert editing done. Also Black Swan would be a good choice. I really hope The King's Speech(bloody fools!)  does not unfairly win for this.

       2) Sound Mixing- The clatter at the bars, the clicking of the keys of the laptop, and the Mark's voice that emerges out. The first scene at the bar with Erica was done 99 times, so that the right mixture of noise and the converstation between her and Mark is shown. And we all know what an impact the scene had.
       I think The Social Network's biggest competitor for this is the equally deserving Inception. The cities being created, the water flooding in, the buildings crumbling down- what a beauty. Apparently Salt has a very good chance in this category, but I haven't seen it so I can't comment.




        3) Score- Oh Trent and Atticus....I love you for what you did with the film. I was watching a bit of voice-over commentary in my The Social Network DVD, and Aaron Sorkin (will talk about him next) was talking about how he wanted a really loud and sort of angry/cocky song to play when Mark walks from the bar to his dorm room at Kirkland House. Instead, Fincher got these two to write the poignant and chilling Hand Covers Bruise that comes thrice in the film to play. And that did the trick. An incredible score full of all sorts of instruments making just wonderful music is innovative and untraditional as hell- my favourite being A Familiar Taste that plays when www.facemash.com takes over.
       Again, only Hans Zimmers' ground-breaking score for Inception can give this competition. Why- because one will remember them as much as the films they're from. Alexandre Desplat is fantastic, but hardly deserving for The King's Speech(bollocks!).

         4) Screenplay- Whatever little I have seen of West Wing, the way the characters spoke always stood out for me. And now Aaron Sorkin wrote this absolute gem of a screenplay (which I am reading right now, and needless to say is simply superb). Just basing it on Ben Mezrich's Accidental Billionaires was not enough. So he investigated the whole backstory of the "inception" of Facebook, and created this whole Rashomon-type of script where no-one's a hero and no-ones a villain but just these absolutely unforgettable characters and the relationships they have with each other. The best- the courtroom scenes: "Did I adequately answer your condescending question?"
        No one other than Sorkin deserves this- just watch the film and read the script. Also- did anyone notice Sorkin playing the Ad exec. irritated with Mark's "glottal stops".

       5) Actor- So Andrew Garfield got snubbed. If not for anything then they should give Jesse Eisenberg an Oscar just to make up for this. Except, in retrospect, I realise now that he is the most deserving of the Best Actor accolade. The way he delivers the lines, the way he hardly shows emotions, but we feel everything that he does. His Mark ended up being the biggest mystery of the year- forget the Limbo and Nina's death. Why did he do everything that he did? How does he feel about Eduardo? And so on...we are just completely  enticed by an actor who has been typecast as a nerd, but by playing possibly the world's most famous and complex nerd, has broken all of his boundaries and has emerged as one of the best of his generation.
      Keeping Jesse aside, the whole film was full of these incredible young actors playing these extraordinary young people. I mean talk about ideal casting for a movie which is showing a generation and a future for the world being played by people who are exactly like this.
       Yes, Colin Firth has this 99.99% in the bag for his mesmerising role in The King's Speech (horseshit), but it will be something to see a surprise win for Jesse and what his speech could be like. (And the joy on bff Andrew's face).




       6) Director- Fincher, Fincher, Fincher...how I love thee. EW just released a list of Greatest Living Directors and David Fincher tops the list. Why? Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and yes, The Social Network. I don't care how many shots he takes, because his end results are somewhat of what one would call cinematic power-packs. As said in LAMB Devours Oscars- The Social Network, "David Fincher ended the nineteen-nineties by producing one of its most important films; with The Social Network, he has started the twenty-tens in a similar fashion." The only reason I had gone berserk about this film since the beginning was because this absolutely divine film maker was making it. And it has been one of the best of his bejewelled career. In my own review I had talked about how different it was from his other films. After seeing the film for the fifth time yesterday, I realise how wrong I was. True it did not deal with serial killers, but the dark, gritty feel remains...even sort of scarier this time round because this film uses weapons of a whole another kind. Instead of John Doe's "artillery" this film explores courtrooms and the un-chartered territories of the World Wide Web. And only Fincher could've done with it and the actors and script in order to make it the modern-day classic t is.
       Fincher should be the one winning the gold. If he doesn't (and this will lead to some sort of violence on my part), and as Christopher Nolan was snubbed, the only other deserving director is weird-and-brilliant Darren Aronfsky for Black Swan. TOM HOOPER MUST NOT WIN THIS.

      And finally, BEST FILM- I can't explain enough why I love this film so much. Nathaniel R of The Film Experience describes the film in a splendiferous way: 
'Not many movies feel like new classics whileyou're watching them. And as early as the first scene, too. Most need time to settle. Not so withThe Social Network which just speeds through, all synapses firing with rich performances (Jesse's best) inspired direction (Fincher's best) and handsome production values (many people's best?), until... "wait, it's over?" When that ending comes (spoilers: Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook, got sued, is a gajillionaire) you want to click "refresh" yourself. Project that bad boy again! Here's why I know it's a new classic: second viewing, ending comes "wait, it's over? Refresh!"; third viewing, ending comes "wait, it's over? Refresh!"; Fourth viewing, ending comes "wait, it's over? Refresh!"'
        I've had proper arguments with people over why The Social Network deserves to win. One of my biggest reasons is that films like Black Swan and Inception could have been made 5-10 years from now and still would have the same effect; The King's Speech(stupid fools) is a period drama about royals during World War 2 and could've been made anytime *generic* and so on. However, The Social Network is about us NOW. It deserves to win NOW. And also it won't ever become obsolete as this film will define our generation forever.
       If *God forbid* The Social Network doesn't win this this then - Black Swan, Inception, Toy Story 3 or 127 Hours.
JUST WIN ALREADY!!!!!

       That's it. Last words on it. I really hope and pray it wins as this will somehow become a personal victory for me. A few links I found on this splendid splendid film:


Observations on Film Art
The Sorkin Network

-Love, Mrs. Garfield

INTERVIEWS FOR LIFE! ~First Installment.

      So I have this potentially destructive habit of watching celebrity interviews on Youtube. I love them and am addicted to them so much that I thought why not make it regular feature on this blog.
      I mostly only like the really hilarious ones. In fact my philosophy about them is that if you're (the celebrity) not funny, don't give interviews.
      I found this interview today of Jesse Eisenberg promoting The Social Network on Conan...and for obvious reasons I cried laughing. He's so brilliant!
      
      Enjoy!

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.

He looked like the love thoughts of women

So, the Sexiest Man Alive thing is out again, coinciding with this rather wonderful quote I found and put as the title. This is my own little list of faaaiiiinnneee men (actors only). I made it under 40...just so that I put pics of people other than Johnny Depp..
Enjoy!

Tom Sturridge- though he is practically a beggar, god does he look good....

Ryan Gosling- My earthquake man, I can never get enough...

Andrew Garfield- Pretty darn perfect

Daniel Radcliffe- 'Cuz being funny does matter.

Ian Somerhalder- Them eyes...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt- adorable till the end of days. Love his smile!

Matthew Goode- Brits make me go high

Leonard Di Caprio- He is my Jack and my Romeo

Jensen Ackles- I like manly men...sometimes

James McAvoy- The accent kills me.

Ewan Mcgregor- He's brilliant!

Jesse Eisenberg- I love Nerds



Of course I missed out someone...who??

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

*Insert Rocky's Victory Music*
       So I finally finally finally watched The Social Network yesterday. I've waited for a year for it to come out and on 28th October, 2010- a full month later than its release in US, I finally saw it...and was it any good? YEAH BABY!! It was everything I imagined it to be and so much more(if there ever was a more clichéd line, I would've written that too).


       I'm not going to really write the plot- Wikipedia and the million other reviews that I've personally read on the film will fill you in on that. I want to write about why I liked this film so much. It's because it is current. If you know me at all, you would know how much I love the 60s and well almost every other time period in history except now (and the 80s as they sucked). This is because, as is the case with almost everything and me, no films have really captured the essence of this decade, or rather the people of this decade. Up in the Air came pretty close in grasping the idea of surviving in the 21st century, but again it was for an older audience. True Anna Kendrick was adorable and George Clooney is an evergreen hunk, but the youth of today have never truly been portrayed in a film. And this is exactly what The Social Network achieves. It is not the Facebook part, as I've been trying to explain to countless number of people, it's the story behind it.


       What The Social Network shows us is how people fit in in today's world. Mark Zuckerberg made Facebook over an angry break-up with a girl. He made it to become cool. He made it so that, as it is being drilled into our genertaion's head everyday, he can be unique. It is the paradox of today's youth that we all want to do something individually so we can all fit in together. From this we see that Zuckerberg's only friend Eduardo Saverin becomes his most fatal enemy. The film mirrors our world, one which is obsessed with the internet, statuses, social standing, shares, achieveing numerical extremes etc. And on the contrary to what you might think, I really liked all of it. I like the What You See Is What You Get idea...and this is very splendidly captured in the film, making it more real and understandable to me than any other work of fiction made about my generation. Also it was refreshing to see how it is the simple matters that bring about big changes. Zuckerberg made Facebook because he had been refused by a girl and was drunk and needed social acceptance. Sort of like how in A Beautiful Mind John Nash refuted some Adam Smith concept based on techniques on picking up girls. But then again this is Facebook, and that was some economic principle.

      The characters in the film are all real people (except Erica Albright) but as it is based upon the book "Accidental Billionaires" which was mostly written in Eduardo Saverin's POV, they might not be exactly like this in their real lives...but I sure do hope so.
      So first, Mark Zuckerberg- give me a flawed hero and I'll give you a devoted Nikhat. I don't know how many people will agree with me here, but I understood Mark. On two levels. First, I like his whole straightforward way of thinking and talking, even though it gets him into trouble with people. He is a science person, a math person and somewhere in his mind it is right to call a spade a spade and I get it. He talks not to impress people, but to truly state everything going on in his head, even when he is being mean. Second, I understand his whole need to fit in by doing somethig extraordinary. I mean that's what I try to do through this blog, something unique that people would like, though on a microscopic level when compered to Zuckerberg (I actually have a mild phobia of computers for that matter). Also he is a geek and for decades now the whole geek becoming a cool dude has been a popular subject in films. It is very obvious with Zuckerberg too as he was fixated on the super-exclusive Harvard clubs and keeping Facebook cool. He is Facebook in the film, starting at a point and not really being sure of what he'll turn into. Despite all his misgivings, he is very likeable and one feels for his "social" awkwardness.
      The next character is that of Eduardo Saverin, the protagonist of "Accidental Billionaires". He is the ex-bestfriend of Zuckerberg and like him, being cool is very important for him. Though unllike Zuckerberg, he gets into one of these coveted Harvard clubs, but he values his friendship more. He is the sweetest character in the film, who is also a very wonderful friend. He does a lot for Zuckerberg's sake, but gets screwed in the end...well sort of- he did get 5% of Facebook's shares amounting to 1.1 billion dollars. I loved Eduardo because he was such a nice guy and also damn cool as an angry young man.
      Sean Parker is the next character. He is that guy who was the very first to rebel and becomes an instant idol to everyone. He has all the charisma and all the stories and all the girls, but in the end he is not all that what he seems. I liked him at first, but he is a completely horrible person towards the end.
      The final two main characters are the Winklevoss twins. They were funny. I liked the whole subplot about them as the priviledged, good-looking, perfectly brought-up "gentlemen of Harvard" and how they have to tackle the problem of being intellectually robbed of an idea.

       David Fincher is GOD! When I heard that he was making a film on Facebook all those months back, I was psyched and apprehensive at the same time. This is because this film is so unlike all his previous films. Though the testosterone level is high in this film too, as it is in most of his other films, it does not have the dark and gritty feel to it. As the film shows only a period in the lives of the characters, albeit the most important one, it was not very biographical. Fincher had a very youthful approach to it. Yes there was college rivalry and legal drama and corporate disputes involved, but it was all done in a very calm manner, so the film does not seem angry, but rather a chain of events following a group of people who are neither right nor wrong. The only other Fincher film it can be compared to is The Zodiac as it was also sort of a journalistic look on true events, but it is so much more modern and approachable. This might be the most congenial film that Fincher has ever made, and it was expertly done so. As Ebert said, "The Social Network is a great film not because of its dazzling style or visual cleverness, but because it is splendidly well-made."


      Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is impeccable. Fincher could not have done this without him. Though I had been "warned" by people that I might not understand it because it is computer-jargon filled, none of that happened. My 10 year-old brother understood all of it...well mostly. It has some fantastic tongue-in-cheek and high-level humour which might have passed over his head, but did not fail to impress me. Lord knows I'm 18 and I still laugh on "chicken" jokes. It also has many unforgettable lines, and the dialogue is what keeps the film going, in a way that no other Fincher movie has. The film is well-structured, though it follows a non-linear timeline. This is because the story obviously focuses more on the people, like Facebook itself.

      And now the actors. You must understand that though I consider myself a film buff, what I am first and foremost is... a girl. And this film was absolute candy for my one fine and other infected eye. Except Panic Room and Alien 3 (the only Fincher film I haven't seen) all of his films have faaaiiine men, and The Social Network most definitely takes the cake. Jesse Eisenberg is so adorable! He is a very good actor and I thought that no other "geeky" actors like Michael Cera and Shia LaBeouf etc. could have played Zuckerberg like he did. He was fun, condescending, brilliant and pityful all at the same time. Andrew Garfield is my future husband...he is so hot and cute at the same time, and those sexy suits are plain orgasmic. He is definitely an actor to watch. I loved him as the senstive and loyal Eduardo and unlike Zuckerberg/Eisenberg's rather stoic display of emotions, he was very expressive and it was just transplendent! Armie Hammer, who played both the Winklevoss twins was quite sexy. Just something about very tall guys in Ivy League rowing teams, you know. I've read people who want an award to be given for creating this effect of twins, but honestly Leaves of Grass came out this year and it has Edward Norton in a double role as twins- one as a professor and the other as a drug pusher. 'Nuff said. Finally, if Justin Timberlake can bring Sexy Back, he can definitely play Sean parker. I thought he was very convincing as the charismatic bad-ass, and his looks did help. Oh and Rooney Mara, who played the fictional Erica, is gorgeous and I cannot wait to see her in Fincher's next, the film adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" along with Daniel Craig.


       My Oscar predictions for the film- it should be nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Eisenberg and Best Supporting Actor for Andrew...and I really hope that it wins Director, Screenplay and Supporting Actor.


      So in the end of all this, I must say to one and all that please go watch The Social Network. It is the story of our generation and one of it's biggest milestones. Comment when you do.


Love,
Mrs. Andrew Garfield