“Do I look like a double fucking rainbow to you?!”- MY FAVOURITE PERFORMANCES OF 2014

         There were a ridiculous number of great performances in 2014. It has honestly broken my heart to leave some of them out of this list (especially looking at you, Rose Byrne and Antoine-Olivier Pilon). I do like how this list has more women than men proving yet again why I loved last year so much from a cinephile's point-of-view. So without further adieu, these are my 25-ish ('cuz there are actually 31- you'll see) favourite performances of 2014:

25.

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood

The number of times I had to remind myself that this is an actor acting and not a real person was insane. Though it is supposed to be Mason's story, I was most interested in what was happening to Arquette's character, partly because of the story and mostly because of her fantastically layered performance. 

24.

Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything

I know Redmayne is probably walking away with the Oscar for his performance in this movie *shudders* but I honestly believe the only awards-worthy work was done in the film by Jones. She was the heart and strength of the film for me. Her work is very subtle yet completely heartbreaking.

23.

Jesse Eisenberg in The Double

Eisenberg is known to play the vulnerable nerd or the cocky asshole. In The Double, he plays both. However, it does not seem like he's relying only on his strengths because it is the moments of quiet desperation and simmering anger in between these two personas that constitute some of the best acting of last year and they are the reason why he's here on this list.

22.

Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I don't want to sound like a broken record by saying how good Serkis is because it's just a fact. This is arguably his best work. It's Kebbell who was more astonishing. He brought such terrifying viciousness to the character of Koba and almost outshined even a seasoned artist like Serkis through his performance.

21.

Stacy Martin in Nymphomaniac

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was Martin's first film. She's not here only for her bravery but also for completely being this very unique woman, embodying her aloofness, her horror over losing her ability to feel pleasure, her pain over her father's condition, her dry humour and so on. Can't wait to see what else Martin does.

20.

Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer

Apparently the role of Mason was meant to be played by a man. Needless to say, no man or woman could have done what Swinton did with the role. Taking inspiration from the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Adolf Hitler, Swinton flawlessly turns into this living, breathing political cartoon who is a riot every time she's on screen.

19.

Keira Knightley in Begin Again

Around the same time last year, when I saw Last Night for the podcast, I was first made aware of how good Knightley can be in modern roles. I always thought she's best suited for period films but it's the present day which brings a relaxed, confident air to her performances and I think her work in Begin Again is her best to date. From her singing to her effortless chemistry with everyone around her, she shines the most here.

18.

Anne Dorval in Mommy

There are just so many shades to Die. She's loud, angry, sexy, confused, vulnerable, bitter, loving, sad and the list goes on, and Dorval portrays all of these. It's a complicated role and a complicated performance. Much like the film, she is on the edge of being overly-dramatic but she never goes overboard and in fact makes Die someone painfully and beautifully human.

17.

Michael Keaton in Birdman

Keaton is someone I only associated with his Batman films and even in those, other actors outshone him completely. Therefore, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that he can do a role like this. The movie is basically in his character's head and a lot of it is totally nuts but Keaton makes it all believable. His frustration, his self-doubts, the pain caused by the various relationships he has, the madness and confusion of his inner and outer lives, the quieter moments of resignation and sadness- it's a truly fantastic performance and one I hope he wins an Oscar for.

16.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights and Belle

God, where did she come from? She's awesome! And she couldn't have played two more different roles in one year, BOTH of which she was excellent at. On one hand, she was this Rihanna-esque rising music star battling with insecurity and on the other, she was a mixed-race 18th century English woman slowly gaining confidence and understanding of the world around her. I prefer the first a little bit more because it could have been such a one-note, predictable performance but instead Mbatha-Raw found such raw and genuinely emotional places to take it to. The same could be said of her performance in Belle as well. Truly, a revelation.

15.

James McAvoy in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

He's been so overlooked in people's best performances list and I don't understand why. Chastain had the more showy role of the two and she delivers completely (more on that later) but, like fellow and similarly ignored Scotsman, Ewan McGregor, McAvoy here is the quieter yet stable counterpoint to her performance and he is just as heart-rendering, if not more, at the end.

14.

Julianne Moore in Maps to the Stars

I love her whole performance but it's really the scene in the toilet that made me put her here. How can someone be so absurd and normal at the same time? I dunno, ask Moore. She's done it before with Boogie Nights (one of the greatest performances of all time) and she did it again here. I am completely, 100% going to pretend it is her performance here that she's actually winning her Oscar for.

13.

Jessica Chastain in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

I would have put her performance in A Most Violent Year here too but her complete work over the two Eleanor Rigby movies has totally wiped it off my mind. This is the best she's ever been. Like Die earlier, Chastain's Eleanor also goes through a gamut of emotions but she's so much harder to read. There is a resistance to show how she feels but the beautiful thing about Chastain's work here is that you can see that as well. Since the films are named after Eleanor, she's more or less the axis around which both the stories turn and Chastain is able to portray that. Of course, she is tremendous in Her but even in Him, where she is playing a colder, more aloof version of Eleanor, she makes her presence felt throughout the film.

12.

Tabu in Haider

Tabu showed in Haider why she's considered one of the best actors of Indian cinema. Sure, the film is about Haider (who is based on Hamlet), but it is Tabu's Ghazala who steals the show. I must give props to the director Vishal Bharadwaj as well for creating a character like her, a middle-aged mother who is completely driven by her passions no matter how unorthodox they may be, a rarity anywhere but especially in Bollywood. However, it would all have been for nought if Tabu hadn't given such a daring and unforgettable performance in that role.

11.

Jenny Slate in Obvious Child

Kinda like Moore, Slate fully won me over at one point in her performance- it is when the *SPOILERS BUT NOT REALLY* abortion is finally taking place and the close-up is on Slate's face. It starts out as funny because she looks stoned almost but then her eyes well up and tears stream down the side of her face and you feel so much for this woman. Of course, there is a sadness in the film but there is also life and happiness and Slate embodies both those parts so well. It is a very sweet performance.

10.

Jack O'Connell in Starred Up, Unbroken and '71

I have been raving about O'Connell everywhere on the internet. I have been a fan since his Skins days but I too was amazed by the caliber of performances he's given this year. Of course, Starred Up has his best performance. He's almost like an animal. His physical acting is only matched by his raw, emotional sensitivity. As for Unbroken, I think he really elevated the film as much as he could. He has such charisma. Finally, in '71, the whole film is so gritty and intense and O'Connell is a major reason for that.

9.

J.K. Simmons in Whiplash

I almost just want to write that I will never see Juno the same way again and leave it at that. There's such vehemence in this performance. It blows one away until they're left quivering, even more so because, just like with the Miles Tellers' character in the movie, we are constantly taken in and manipulated by it and we are surprised at every turn.

8.

Brendon Gleeson in Calvary

Remember what I wrote about McAvoy earlier- just take that and like multiply it a thousand times and that's how appalled I am at everyone for not giving this performance its due attention. There is such inner turmoil in Father James' life that Gleeson is able to portray. He is supposed to be stoic because he's a priest but we feel the anger, the sadness, the frustration of this man who is still, after all, just a man. It is a finely tuned and deeply human performance.

7.

Edward Norton in Birdman

Norton in Birdman reminded me why it is I fell in love with him in the first place. He is totally unpredictable. Every time I thought I had this character figured out, he went and did something completely opposite to what I was expecting and Norton not only performs the different facets of this character's personality brilliantly, but also those tiny moments of when he's transitioning from one to another. 

6.

Marion Cotillard in Two Days, One Night and The Immigrant

Similar to Arquette, watching Cotillard in Two Days, One Night was a constant series of "Oh crap, she's acting here!" She became Sandra so completely that it was baffling to think that this is not a someone who really exists whose life we are following and who we are witnessing actually go through clinical depression. Cotillard is completely immersed in her role. She is very good in The Immigrant as well, delivering a nuanced and oftentimes surprising performance 

5.

Tom Hardy in Locke

Seriously, when was the last time you were interested in listening to someone talk about concrete? I'm gonna go with never (no offence meant to anyone who works with concrete and reads this blog). But listening to Hardy talk about it, I was completely riveted, enthralled, spellbound, rapt! Locke was sold as the movie with Tom Hardy in a car and it's an excellent movie mostly because of the Tom Hardy part. I love one-man movies because it must be so difficult to act on your own and not having someone to react to, and Hardy faces this challenge head on. He explores so many sides to this character in such a short movie with such a constricted setting. It's a masterclass in acting.

4.

Essie Davis in The Babadook

Of all the performances in this list, I have a feeling I will grow to love this one the most over the years. I was already more impressed with it when I rewatched the film. The way Davis goes from meek and tired to ferocious and unhinged over the course of the film is just staggering. It's not just her face or her physicality but also her voice that changes. There is such control in this performance. It is definitely going to go down as one of the best roles in horror history.

3.

Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Like Leo last year, seeing an established "dramatic" actor tackle a funny role has brought me great joy. Obviously, Fiennes already gave us a taste of comedic chops in In Bruges, but he's just spectacular in The Grand Budapest Hotel. From his proper mannerisms to the delectable way words just flow from his mouth, to the fact that though this is a comedy performance, there is such a poignant undercurrent that runs through it that Fiennes brings out in the way he acts and speaks, it is simply a delight to watch him in this role.

2.

Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler and Enemy

At one point during Nightcrawler, I remember thinking to myself "THIS guy played Bubble Boy." It is mental to think about how far Gyllenhaal has come as an actor. Though I thought his work in Nightcrawler was better than both his roles in Enemy, the fact that one actor in one year has managed to give these absolutely crazy yet disturbingly believable performances, all of which are so varied and complex in their own ways, needs to be lauded by one and all. I am fully on board with whatever Gyllenhaal tackles next.

1.

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl

And then there was one. And what a performance at that!

More than anything else, it is Pike's voice as the real Amy that has stuck with me. As incredible as it is to watch her transformation from pretty waif into psychotic mastermind on screen, the fact that she manages to even lace her voice with that creeping madness is what blows my mind. It gets under your skin.

Though of course, it is the expression her eyes too that can be so innocent in the first scene and completely predatorial in the last that makes her performance the best of the year.

Plus, I can't leave out talking about how multi-layered her work is. She is funny, ethereal, terrifying, manipulative and so much more. She did something I didn't think was possible- outdo the book Amy. I don't remember the last time the cinematic portrayal of a literary character not only matched my expectations, which in itself is rare, but also brought out sides and depths that weren't in the book.

Basically- Amazing Rosamund is amazing.

What were your favourite performances of 2014?

Also in Best of 2014:

Shots

Scenes

Heroes and Villains

Sexiest Characters, Best Characters, Ensembles, Objects, Quotes

Thoughts

Hello nice people who still read this blog even though I do nothing on it. How are you all? How is your day going? I hope your day goes well and everything is awesome and blah. My day, in case you're wondering, is not going that great. Firstly, I had this awful dream about lizards attacking me and I woke up pretty early because of that. Secondly, I have to go to the doctor's pretty soon because in spite of being Indian, I think I'm allergic to the Indian weather. Speaking of, the weather here is terrible right now. It's like summer came back all over again, and I don't like summer. I like winter. For one thing, my like perennial cold actually makes sense then. For another, I have this really adorbs woolen sweater with reindeer on it and I unfortunately only get to wear it then. Thirdly, my results come out today and I'm properly super nervous about them. We found out about it yesterday. I have little-to-no memory of giving my exams because I was so sleep-deprived throughout but I do remember not being particularly ecstatic about any of them, so that's not great. Lastly, I don't know how my day will end because of the results bit and that's also stressing me out. Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Anyways, now that that's out if my system, let's get back to the world of cinema which is a world all of us care about unlike my stupid life and my stupid day.

Note: There's no way in hell I remember all the movie news announced in the last four months, since my last Thoughts post, and I'm not going to go through websites looking for them either.

1) SARAH POLLEY IS MAKING LOOKING FOR ALASKA!! I know that this is old news but I'm still very excited about it and I needed to acknowledge that on my blog. I know I have only seen one Polley movie, which is Stories We Tell, but god, it's one of the best movies I have ever seen and Looking for Alaska is one of the best books that I've ever read and it's SO fucking amazeballs that both of these are coming together. Even when I first read LFA, I had wanted a female director to make its movie because I just had a gut feeling that they'll do justice to it better than a male director can (See also: The Virgin Suicides, American Psycho) and yaay Polley is fantastic. I need this film in my life already.

2) In related news, the Paper Towns movie is also being made and they've cast Cara Delevingne as Margo Roth Spiegelman. This is pretty great news. I love Delevingne's look and energy. She was apparently the best part about The Face of an Angel, which showed at TIFF. My 13 year old brother is in love with her and one can understand why a character like Q, who is the protagonist of the story and will be played by the adorable Nat Wolff, will fall for someone like her. I already prefer this casting to that of The Fault in Our Stars because I still hate Ansel Elgort's face. The film will come out next year and will be directed by Jake Schreier who made Robot and Frank (which I have not seen. How is it??).

3) Matt Smith has been cast as Mr. Collins in the upcoming adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I find this very odd. I always saw him as a Bingley. Mr. Collins is a clown and not in a good way. Still, I'm happy to see Smith in anything. The film also stars Lily James (Smith's current girlfriend btw), Sam Riley, Douglas Booth, Jack Huston and Bella Heathcote.

4) Fincher news- All of the Fincher stuff getting released nowadays is so interesting. From the fact that he cast Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne in Gone Girl because of his creepy smile to his new projects which include an HBO series he is developing with James Ellroy about the corrupt studio system in the 50s, which will be in the style of the classic film noir, and a TV series about 80s music video industry!! Is anyone else having major "Vogue" flashbacks? He also said that the sequels to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo may still get made which is something I kind of need in my life. Finally, did everyone watch and love his adverts for GAP? Fincher seriously needs to make a black and white movie already.

5) Jessica Chastain will star in Xavier Dolan's next film, which is also his English language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. It's a satire of the gossip magazine business and Chastain is playing the antagonist, which is going to be delicious. Can you imagine how Dolan is going to dress her? *swoons* This is amazing news and I love the fact that all this sort of originated from a flirty Twitter convo between the two cinema geniuses (which is what they are).

6) Other casting news- Daniel Radcliffe's movie about the Brooklyn Bridge called *obviously* The Brooklyn Bridge now also has Brie Larson and Sir Ben Kingsley. Yaay! Love the idea of DanRad and Larson starring in a film together, although isn't she taller than him? There is going to be a Ben-Hur remake and I'm kind of okay with that because it will star Jack Huston and I love Jack Huston. It will also star Morgan Freeman and is being written by John Riley who wrote 12 Years A Slave.

7) Trailers- I just saw the trailer of Big Eyes. I like the look but I absolutely hate the song. Why would someone like Tim Burton use that song? I don't understand. A Most Violent Year looks pretty intriguing. I love the shot of Chastain at the end. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 trailer is also out. I'm just too excited about Natalie Dormer being in this tbh.

8) Finally, it's almost time for the results so I'm just going to stop here and leave you with this beautiful man and his beautiful scruff-

Bye.

Thoughts

        I think I am definitely turning these posts into a fortnight thing which is better than them being a month thing. In this way you guys get a bigger, meatier, possibly crazier post and I get to feel less bad about my laziness. Win-win, probably. Anyways, onto the post!

1) Matt Smith is going to star in the Terminator reboot, Terminator: Genesis and will also be a major part of its 2 sequels. I'll be honest, I was kind of going to skip these movies. I like the original and really like Judgement Day but my interest had fizzled out. I would not have watched them even for Emilia Clarke (sorry Khaleesi fans) but yeah, the addition of my favourite television actor does change everything. His character is someone who will be working close to John Connor, who will be played by Jason Clarke. I am sincerely praying he doesn't play some gangly nerd dude and that he does get to bulk up a bit, especially after this :) I am happy to see at least two members of Karen and the Babes (i.e., Karen Gillan, Matt, Arthur Darvill) getting breakout roles in these blockbuster movies. Now all I need is for Darvill to get cast as Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy because he will be *perfect*.

2) David Fincher won't be making the Sorkin-Jobs movie after all, which sucks! But they're probably going to replace him with Danny Boyle, which is awesome! The last time Boyle made a sorta biopic, it was 127 Hours which I loved (coincidentally, it was my second favourite movie of 2010 right below Fincher's The Social Network). Boyle apparently wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jobs though and that is not great news. I really want Leo to stop doing biopics already. Yes WoWS was kind of a biopic and so is the next movie he is making with Jonah Hill but man, I thought Leo was finally embracing his comedic side! Gahhhhhh. So yes to Boyle and no to Leo.

3) Woody Allen's next movie after Magic in the Moonlight will star Joaquin Phoenix. Fuck yes!! I love Phoenix and with his recent career choices, he can do no wrong in my eyes, and Woody is still my favourite filmmaker. I can imagine the film being Sweet and Lowdown-esque for some reason, not that we know anything about the plot or whether it is a comedy or tragedy or a dramedy. It's just that Phoenix would be really great in a role like that although he can honestly do anything with that face of his. #favcinematicface

4) Oh since my last post, the Cannes 2014 lineup has been announced. Here is the full list. Some really exciting movies here like Foxcatcher, Maps to the Stars, Clouds of Sils Maria, Mommy, The Search, Saint Laurent (which stars Gaspard Ulliel, Lea Seydoux and Louis Garrel!! Their combined beauty will blind us) and most importantly for me, Ryan Gosling's directorial debut Lost River, which is the boring name they replaced How to Catch A Monster with. Anywhoo, I am super stoked about it still even though I am 97.6849203% sure I will hate it. Oh and the Cannes jury has been announced as well. It's pretty amazing. It will be headed by Jane Campion and has Sofia Coppola, Gael García Bernal, Nicolas Winding-Refn and Leila Hatami (who was in the incredible A Separation) among others. On a sidenote, I totally had a dream about Sofia Coppola the other day where I was trying to befriend her 'cuz duh. It also had Kelly Preston and Peter Sarsgaard :/

5) Jessica Chastain will be playing Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik's next, Blonde. This is pretty fantastic news. I don't think anyone can *really* look like Monroe but I think Chastain can get the mannerisms right. And it's not a proper biopic but rather based on the book of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates where he has reimagined her tale of glamour and rise and fall in Hollywood and all that. Dominik has called it "a really sprawling, emotional nightmare fairy-tale type movie" so that's interesting. Naomi Watts was previously attached to this project but in La Chastain we trust. Chastain is also apparently being courted to play the co-lead in the next Mission Impossible film, which is exciting news.

6) The cast of Star Wars Episode 7 has finally been revealed and it is quite an impressive one. Like in the case of the Terminator reboot, I wasn't all that psyched about this movie but hot damn, that is one cool cast! John Boyega who was excellent in Attack the Block, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and Domnhnall Gleeson, who are all becoming some of my favourite actors to watch, Andy Serkins who is awesome, Max von Sydow who is a legend, and the returning cast members that include Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Peter Mayhew. The only person I don't know is Daisy Ridley but it's just good to know that there is more than one female character in this.

7) Other news- So Zach Snyder will be directing the Justice League movie as well as the Superman VS Batman movie. This isn't even the worst part of it. Apparently Matt Damon is in talks to play someone called Aquaman? On one hand, I desperately want this to happen because it will be HILARIOUS and oh so cute because Ben and Matt forever OMG, but on the other hand, I like Damon and this sounds *awful*. There is a movie called Genius about writer Thomas Wolfe and editor Max Perkins that is being made. Originally, Michael Fassbender was slated to play Wolfe but he has now been replaced by Jude Law, while Perkins will be played by Colin Firth. The film will also star Nicole Kidman. I like Law though of course Fassy would have been a cooler choice. Lessee how this works. The new Jungle Book movie will have Lupita Nyong'o and Scarlett Johansson voicing some of the animals which is kind of silly because if you are going to have those two women in a film, at least make it live action. Joe Wright's Pan continues to baffle as it will now also star Amanda Seyfried and Cara Delevigne. The cast has really out-whited itself but I still have faith in Wright. Justin Kurtzel, who is directing the Fassy-Cotilard Macbeth movie will next direct the Assassin's Creed movie which will also star Fassy. I can get behind this. JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy is going to become a TV series that will be shown in BBC and HBO. I wasn't too big a fan of the book but I can see it working as a show and the studios are cool. Finally, Steven Spielberg will be directing the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's BFG. It is one of the only Dahl books I haven't read but my brother ensures me it is brilliant and therefore this is awesome news.

8) There are sooooo many videos I want to share, from the McAvoy-Fassbender-Jackman interviews to Emma Stone's awesome awesomeness, but in order to be as current as possible, I give you this-

So funny. Especially the part he screams and the hand bit. Also, I want to be Beyonce when I grow up.

9) Pictures- A number of images from Magic in the Moonlight have been released. Though Stone's and Firth's age difference is a bit big, I can feel the chemistry already and they are both just so charming. New pictures from the aforementioned Macbeth movie. I am kind of sick of watching Macbeth adaptations but I do like the look of this a lot. A few stills from Gosling's Lost River have also been released. God, this film will be weird. Still, where's Matt Smith yo? And Robert Downey Jr. has tweeted this slice of fried gold from the shooting of Avengers 2. ZOMG SO EXCITED!!!!!!!

10) Trailers- Some good/great ones here. Maps to the Stars looks sufficiently strange but I do love the cast and as long as there are no giant rats in this one, I'm good. The Trip to Italy is funny, obviously. We can never have too many Michael Caine impressions. And the food looks wow. Let's Be Cops has Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. and looks pretty funny albeit a little stupid. Still, I adore Johnson too much. They Came Together has another of my favourite TV comedians, Amy Poehler, teaming up with the always adorable Paul Rudd. This too seems a little crazy but parodies can be fun and these two are awesome! Boyhood maybe doesn't have a super fantabulous trailer but I cannot wait for this movie! It will be beautiful and amazing and the best thing ever! Accio! My two favourite trailers in *sigh* the last month are What We Do in the Shadows and Gone Girl. In case of the former, it just looks so funny and brilliant and in case of the latter, well, it just *sounds* so funny and brilliant. Seriously, I love Fincher to death! That song and the stuff shown in the trailer is like something out of Amy's diary. It goes with the "perfect" image of the Dunnes and has enough creepiness to keep us wondering. Pure, unadulterated love.

11) Finally, the Graham Norton-Fassy-McAvoy-Jackman might be the greatest interview ever conducted. It's definitely hottest. Here are some gems from it-

These three are the only people that make "Blurred Lines" classy.

McAvoy was on fire.

McBender 4eva.

Sorry Benny, but 'tis true.

And that's it. Tata!

Thoughts

I don't know how but I have gotten into this terrible habit of posting my weekly thoughts every two weeks. I am late today as well and will probably be next week too as I am going to UAE for my summer hols. I promise to work on being better though.

1) First of all, Something Is Afoot.

2) Old, old news to get off my chest- Lee Pace will be the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though this means that all of his beauty will probably be burried under tons and tons of make-up, I am really happy that Pace is getting the big break he deserves. He is also in talks to star in the second season of Hannibal, along with fellow-Pushing Daisies stars Kristin Chenowyth and Anna Friel. Him, Mikkelsen and Dancy- yummy! (See what I did there?) Next, people are trying to remake The Crow, which I feel is an excellent idea because the story and the character are very interesting and the 1994 original is almost too cult to do them justice. Among the people whose names have been thrown around for playing the titular character are James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston (who would have been perfect, imo), and now Alexander Skarsgard is in talks. Speaking of Hiddles, he will be starring in a Robert Capa biopic along with fellow Marvel-actor, Hayley Atwell. Me likey. His Marvel brother Chris Hemsworth is going to star in a new Michael Mann cyberthriller along with Viola Davis. I think this is a very interesting pairing and am excited to see what comes out of it.

3) Jessica Chastain is in talks to star in Christopher Nolan's next big space adventure movie, Interstellar. She will join Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Nolan-regular, Michael Caine. Give me this movie NOW!

4) Daniel Radcliffe continues to make bold, cool choices with his post-Potter career. He is going to star in the adaptation of Tokyo Vice which is based on a true story about a reporter whose crime stories and a final scandal get him into trouble with a Yakuza boss. It is going to be directed by music director Anthony Madler, who is making his feature film debut with this. I really like how this sounds. Let's hope it's awesome and DanRad with it.

5) Paul Thomas Anderson is set to start shooting his next film Inherent Vice this month. It will star his The Master-collaborator, the great-faced Joaquin Phoenix (what a face, man!). I am still a bit sad that Robert Downey Jr. won't be in it instead. I think he and PTA would have made quite a pair. Still, cinephiles everywhere are rejoicing of course.

6) Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman are going to "Bard" it up in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of Macbeth. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Scottish play when we studied it in school, but if anyone can make me change my mind, it is Fassy. I think he will be perfect. And Portman, who so cleverly joined this project after being denied the chance to work with Fassy in the now-annoying-with-its-casting-problems Jane Got A Gun, is a very intriguing choice to play Lady Macbeth, who was probably the only character I liked in the play. Kurzel, whose debut film Snowtown is apparently very violent, is again a most interesting choice as the director. I can see this working v. well.

7) Other casting news- Bradley Cooper is going to star in Steven Spielberg's next American Sniper, which is based on the autobiography of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. I have become quite the Cooper fan since Silver Linings Playbook and am thus looking forward to this film. My husband, Logan Lerman, has joined Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf in David Ayer's World War 2 tank drama Fury. The film is about a five-man American tank squadron who go to Germany to fight off Nazi forces. Lerman, according to the site, will play, "Norman Ellison, an Army typist and the youngest and most inexperienced member of the crew who is thrust into being a tank gunner." Sounds pretty good to me.

8) Only one poster worth talking about really, and that is of Lars Von Trier's potentially v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v. controversial new film, Nymphomaniac. I think it is brilliant. People have been calling it a Tumblr fan poster, but that's exactly what I love about it. Fan posters often highlight the most important features of the respective film and just drown out all the noise and that is what this poster is doing. This two-part film is about the sexual journey of a woman, played by the underrated Charlotte Gainsbourg, and the poster is implying this in the most simplest of ways. Genius!

9) Trailers- The Bling Ring's official trailer is making me want this film even more than I do, which is A LOT. Also, I am so going to be talking like (well, trying to) Emma Watson for a week after I watch this. Thor: The Dark World looks cool, especially with Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor at its helm. I expect loads of fight scenes. My favourite part of the trailer is Loki, obviously. Violet and Daisy looks very interesting and lovely. Love the duo of Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore!) and Saoirse Ronan. Kristen Wiig's follow-up to Bridesmaids, Girl Most Likely looks like a whole lot of fun. I think she and Annette Benning, who plays her mum, are a charismatic and awesome match, and Matt Dillon and even Darren Criss are great. Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing looks so so so so good and I really hope it releases here. I am certain that I will love it. Finally, for trailer of the week, Pacific Rim looks unfuckingbelievably out-of-this-world fantastic! 2500 tons of awesome to be exact. I can't wait to watch this now.

10) Finally, my most anticipated film of all time has started filming-

Hottest director ever, anyone?

Also, I am guessing (and hoping and praying) that the picture below is for How to Catch a Monster and not Doctor Who-

It *is* a bit of a shock, but I think it is fine, all in all. Hair generally grows back. 

However, when this picture got released, this is what happened to Tumblr-

This is coincidentally what is going to happen to my ovaries once the Gos and Matt Smith start filming together. Can't wait.

Byee!!

Thoughts

       Wazza people? Did you know that 'totes' and 'amazeballs' are words in the dictionary now? And this meme doesn't apply because they are an actual part of English. Memes, you have failed us. Personally I find 'totes' funny, but that's just me.

1) September has turned into unofficial Doctor Who month on this blog. Sorry if that inconveniences anyone. I'm just really in love with this show.

2) Film Buzz- Ewan McGregor will now star in August: Osage County, along with Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Abilgail Breslin, Chris Cooper, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard, Margo Martindale and Misty Upham. Phew! Some cast that. Also Zero Theorem, the new Terry Gilliam film with Christoph Waltz in it, will now have Tilda Swinton too. If that isn't a dynamite trio, I don't know what. Then Christian Slater will join the Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac, which already has Shia La Beouf, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe. It sounds really fucked up. My thoughts are exactly that of Sati's. Ew.

3) Links- Read this uber-adorable post on Mette's Journey to Wes Anderson Land.

4) I didn't publish this last week because I thought about dedicating a whole post to it, but then it hit me that I have done a lot of Harry Potter tributes on this blog. Anyways, this is "Mischief Managed: A Harry Potter Retrospective"-

Needless to say I was in tears by the end of this. I have realised that I can no longer watch a Harry Potter film without feeling a little sad inside. These were such a special series of films; you can see it from the video. From the look to the music to the absolutely epic cast of actors, and the story itself is so great. I just wish that they would have been more appreciated.

5) TIFF news and reviews are pouring in from everywhere. So here is what I have surmised so far- To the Wonder is Terrence Malick's weakest film yet, Ben Affleck's Argo is probably the best out there (Roger Ebert has gon as far as to say that it will win the Best Picture Oscar this year)- both very unexpected. Mixed reviews for Cloud Atlas, The Place Beyond the Pines, Like Someone in Love, Seven Psychopaths and a lot of love for David O. Russells's Silver Linings Playbook though it's supposedly total sell-out on the part of the usually eccentric director. The Master too hasn't received the universal acclaim one would expect from a Paul Thomas Anderson film, which is the most surprising conclusion of all. The one I am now looking forward the most too, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is getting really good reviews! Also the newly re-cut On the Road is supposedly better. I can't wait to see all these movies!

6) A Whole Lot of Trailers and an Ad- A second Cloud Atlas trailer has come out, that is half the length of the former. I am really looking forward to this film actually. It looks absolutely stunning. The new Elle Fanning film, Ginger and Rosa has a trailer out. It looks really beautiful and apparently Fanning has done a brilliant job in it. I'm a fan, so I really want to watch it. Midnight's Children, which is Deepa Mehta's adaptation of one of my favourite books ever. I think the trailer looks really good, and though different from how I imagined it would look like, I am really looking forward to see how this one pans out. A Late Quartet, which has a very impressive cast boasting of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener and Christopher Walken. I am not entirely intrigued by the trailer- it's kind of meh. The new horror film with a very goth Jessica Chastain and Jaime Lannister (his real name is too big) Mama has a trailer out. It looks pretty bad. But that is forgiven because have you seen this ad for Yves Saint Laurent with La Chastain, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn? I want to marry it. Then there is Smashed with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul. The trailer looks okay but word has it that the film is really good and Winstead has given a stellar performance. Lincoln, whose trailer had a teaser for it- lolwut? Anyways, it reminds me too much of the super-awful War Horse which wasn't that terrible in itself but for all the unnecessary praise it received. THAT NOMINATION BELONGED TO DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2! Never forget. Daniel Day-Lewis is a shoo-in for an Oscar nom though. Duh. Finally there is the trailer to the much-awaited Aamir Khan-starrer Talaash that completely delivers on what we had expected. I am so glad such films are still being made. I really hope it is good. 

7) Btw, how do you like the new banner? It's one of my most favourite ones yet. 

8) Finally, continuing from the earlier Jessica Chastain appreciation-life avenue of thought, I give you this (Stevee must be overjoyed)-

She's making me fall in love with purple all over again. Votte goddess.

That's it for now I guess. Byee.

Thoughts

1) Look at the banner people! Granted it's pre-2011, but so much joys.

2) So one of my most anticipated movies of this year, Alfonso Cuarón's space epic Gravity has been pushed back to 2013. Gahh. It sounds so mindblowingly amazing. Already I have an ever-growing list of films that I must watch next year- Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring, Daniel Radcliffe-starrer Kill Your Darlings, the sequel to Star Trek, the very strange sounding Pacific Rim by Guillermo Del Toro, some other 100 sequels.

3) Joel Edgerton has dropped out of double feature The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and has been replaced the James "BLUEEE-EYES" McAvoy. Yaay. I mean I will pay good money to watch just one movie with McAvoy and Jessica Chastain, and these are two different movies- His and Hers, which in itself sound very intriguing. Edgerton frightens me a little bit, and I absolutely adore McAvoy, so I'm very happy with this casting choice.

4) Speaking of happy casting choices, Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska will star in the movie adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, which will be called Carol. It is a romantic story, about an up-and-comer, played by Wasikowska, who falls for a middle-aged housewife, played by Blanchett, in New York in the 1950s, who then set out across the United States with a private investigator in their trail. I read somewhere this will almost be like Brokeback Mountain for lesbians since it's a great emotional story. The two Aussie actresses are absolutely lovely and I am very excited for this project. Also it will be co-written and directed by John Crowley, who made the brilliant yet underrated Boy A.

5) Trailers and Teasers and Clips, Oh My - Hyde Park on Hudson which has Bill Murray playing FDR. It can be a charming movie, but the trailer is all over the place. Love the cast- especially Murray and Laura Linney. Magic Mike's second trailer is much more about objectifying men than custom furniture, as it should be. It does look interesting, but gahh Channing Tatum. The Watch which looks insane. Like a wannabe Edgar Wright movie, but I do think that the people in it are all right. Won't Back Down which isn't a sequel to Never Back Down. In fact it stars Oscar nominees Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The trailer is awful, but the film might just be good-ish. Now on to Cannes- Holy Motors which everyone seems to love because of its craziness has an equally mundane yet captivating trailer. The Paperboy, which everyone hates because Nicole Kidman looked so wonderfully trashy, like seen in the clip. Killing Them Softly which has some totally random clip not even with Brad Pitt, but people seem to really like this film. The new Bond film Skyfall has a cracker of a teaser out. It looks absolutely incredible and cool, and I'm properly excited for this film now. It's just how a teaser should be made, and the same goes for P.T. Anderson's The Master (and with that all the film nerds died and went to heaven). This too looks awesome and weird and Joaquin Phoenix is back on his A-game. Finally, my king of trailers, one that I have seen about 30 times already- Baz Luhrmann's gorgeous and wonderfully OTT adaptation of The Great Gatsby. I love how it looks, and we can already see the many details from the beloved novel like the gigantic bespectacled eyes that have literally been haunting me, the beautiful shirts scene, the swimming pool etc. I love how pretty Leo looks, and Mulligan too (still not Daisy, sorry). I loved how sexy Jordan was in the book, and newcomer Elizabeth Debicki nails it. Joel Edgerton looks totally repulsive, how Tom was. Also Amitabh Bachchan, who is one of the biggest Bollywood stars, makes his Hollywood debut in this. The only thing lacking in the trailer was Tobey Maguire, and I hope they don't reduce his role because I love Nick as I love all narrators. All of this, perfectly complimented by that controversial Jay Z- Kanye West track in the opening and then the amazing Jack White cover of "Love is Blindness" later on. LOVE IT!!

6) Someone buy me this. Please.

7) Finally, I'm sorry I have nothing so I'm going to leave you with this-

Bye. Keep twirling :D

Thoughts

Another week people. It rained here the other day and it was amazing. But then, the bugs came. Ugh Indian monsoon -.-


1) I have no one to watch The Avengers with. I hate this world. Team Loki forever! Also, speaking of other blockbusters and teams, Josh "Peeta" Hutcherson adopted a special needs puppy and named it Driver, after Ryan Gosling's mysterious character in the awesome Drive. So obviously, I am with the bakers now!


2) Okay am I the only one who hates studios revealing information on sequels before the first part has even been released? I mean as evident as it is that nothing will happen to Ironman and Black Widow in The Avengers, they can shut up about how RDJ and Scarlett Johannson are returning in Ironman 3 for a second. Especially considering The Avengers is what all the other Marvel films have been building up to. Having said that, I am beyond pumped about the other cast members joining Ironman 3- Sir Ben Kingsley as the villain, the always brilliant Guy Pearce and maybe even La Chastain, in some sexy scientist role. Also, it seems that The Amazing Spiderman 2 is already getting written by the Star Trek writers. The first part hasn't even released yet. It is okay to plan ahead, just release the news afterwards.


3) Best Film News of the Week- The World's End, which is said to be the last part in the Blood and Ice Cream/ Three Cornetto Flavours Trilogy, all directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, aka Best Onscreen Couple EVER, is being written. Or rather has already been written by Wright and Pegg and its second draft is ready. OMGOMGOMG! I live for the day it gets made, and I am seriously not exaggerating. Let the world literally end after that and I would not care at all.


4) And now for some bad news, at least for me- the much awaited Darren Aronofsky "Noah" movie has found its savior, in the form of Russel Crowe. Ai yai yai... I really do not like Crowe. He's my anti-Depp and I find it very difficult to sit through his films. Gladiator was good but I did fall sick after watching it. And I like L.A. Confidential because it is a great film and has Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey in it. I have only been looking forward to his next film Les Miserables because it will have the wonderful Hugh Jackman singing in it. I was quite excited and intrigued about the "Noah" film... I don't know how much I want to see it anymore.


5) Trailers- The trailer to Oliver Stone's Savages was released a few weeks back but I forgot to post it. It's a bit crazy, but I guess we expect that from a Stone movie. However, the block of stone that is Blake Lively telling us at the beginning of the trailer that she may die at the end of the story is a humongous faux pas. It just makes the film extremely predictable no matter how it ends unless she is somehow strapped onto a cow-shaped Death Star and oh I don't know... it's all bad!! I do like the fact that it has Salma Hayek and Benicio Del Toro though. Hope Springs, which has Queen Meryl reuniting with The Devil Wears Prada director, David Frankel. It looks sweet and also stars Tommy Lee Jones, who is always a delight in lighter roles like this one, and Steve Carell. The *hopefully* final trailer to Pixar's Brave has been released. I can't wait for this film and Merida's hair enough. Lawless has a friggin' awesome trailer out. Firstly it has an absolute dream cast- Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Mia Wasikowska, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce and oh so sexy Jessica Chastain. Secondly, I love Prohibition-era stuff, especially those big-ass tommy guns. Finally, the trailer of the week comes in the form of the lovely Ruby Sparks. I love Paul Dano! It is made by the wonderful people who made Little Miss Sunshine and I completely adore the premise of the story. I can see myself becoming obsessed with this film and hating reality even more after that. It also stars the likes of Annette Benning, Antonio Banderas and Steve Coogan.


6) Finally, I'm in love with this song and video-

Adieu mon chérie.

It's Oscars or whatever

So I woke up at 3:30 in the morning to see the 84th Academy Awards. I had woken up around the same time the previous night thinking I had gotten my time zones wrong and Oscars have started.

My thoughts:
- Ugh the interviewers are stupid. I did like the British female though, despite that interview with Nick Nolte.

- I loved the Mominees part. I started tearing up.

- My best-dressed- Jessica Chastain with her red hair and that awesome black and gold dress and Michelle Williams in a colour which made me think of red roses. I also liked Octavia Spencer (who Nina Garcia called OctAhvia), Kristen Wiig, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Rose Byrne and a very appropriate Glenn Close.

- When they showed those guys carrying the Oscar envelopes in the suitcases, I couldn't help but picture someone tackling them and the envelopes flying out in a dramatic fashion. Why don't people tackle them?

- I hate that they keep showing the inside of the theatre. It loses the magic and appeal.

- So the show starts. I don't know if I liked the interior design so much. For whatever reason it made the place look smaller.

- I like Morgan Freeman too much. Nice way to open and that montage was funny. Minus Beiber of course.

- Billy Crystal was not in his top form. I couldn't understand some of the things he said or sang. But he was still much better than the train wreck last time.

- Doesn't Tom Hanks start the awards-giving every year?

- I can't believe Emmanuel Lubezki didn't win for cinematography! I mean, The Tree of Life is one of the most beautiful looking films to have ever been made, and Lubezki is to thank for that. Hugo was good, but certainly not this great.

- So I don't know at what point to start my Harry Potter tirade. Maybe a bit later on. Anyways it didn't win the much deserved Art Direction award.

- That band on the side made me think of the Oscars as an overblown late night talk show. I hated that they kept cutting to it. The direction was really off this year.

- Then there's a random montage of why we love movies or something, which was the running theme of the night. It started with Forrest Gump, then Titanic, and then *cue drum roll* Twilight. Because of course Twilight is a cinematic experience none of us should ever miss! It ended with the orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally though, which is epic.

- Why do they still call Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz to this? Why? They colour coordinated their ugly gowns and everything.

- Christian Bale comes! I miss him and everything else of last year's award season.

- Jessica Chastain's reaction to her clip was so pretty. Also I am finally coming to terms with Tate Taylor being a bit of a dreamboat.

- Of course OctAhvia Spencer won. The standing ovation was nice though it seemed like one of those times when you are goaded into standing because people are sheep-like. I had enough of those at school.

- One of the best part of the awards was undoubtedly that totally unexpected and properly deserved win by Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter. They were so shocked, and that's how it is still fun. I loved their shout-out to Rooney Mara, who is just so pretty. First back-to-back editing win since the 30s. Also, a little reminder of the awesomeness of The Social Network. Joys :D

- Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper gave like three awards. They wouldn't leave. Oscars could have gotten other presenters.

- The Cirque de Soleil performance was very well done, though incredibly random. I did like that female standing on that guy's head though.

- Robrt Downey Jr. and Emma Stone killed it. They are too awesome! I love Emma Stone's readiness to do the stupid. She looked really happy the whole time. And of course, no one is cooler than RDJesus.

- So visual effects are given to Hugo and with that ends the last chance EVER for Harry Potter to win an Oscar. And then Billy Crystal makes a nice little passing remark on how the series ended this year. Hold on tight folks, this is going to get bumpy.

WHY THE FUCK DO THE OSCARS HATE HARRY POTTER SO MUCH? What did they do to the Oscars? I do not understand. Please explain. They were too successful and fun and not stupid. Is it because they were British, because The King's Speech has to answer a few questions then. They couldn't even get them to present, when the same people were standing there for 2 or 3 different awards. They could have still called Daniel Radcliffe because he was all "Entertainer of the Year" and stuff, and Emma Watson because she was in My Week with Marilyn. Seriously, Twilight gets preference over a decade of simply magical movies. Oscars is probably the only place where Twilight > Harry Potter (even MTV awards are not that disrespectful). And okay fine, don't call them. Don't give them any awards. But then don't mention them either. Because that was really horrible. It's sort of like laughing in your face when you are in incredible pain. THE FACE OF A WHOLE GENERATION. So awful. Why? 

- Christopher Plummer's win was my most favourite, even though that was probably the most obvious. I think Best Supporting Actor category is my favourite in general. His speech will go down in the books. Just that totally classy way with which he started "You're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?" It was lovely.

- At one point it looked like Hugo will bag the most awards, but then the award by The Descendants for Adapted Screenplay stopped that. I liked the speech, so I won't say anything. And Angelina Jolie looked like such a superhero goddess there.

- Yaay Woody! I would love to see Woody finally coming to these award ceremonies to get his lifetime achievement awards, but it probably goes against his idea of being immortal. Whatever. I love Woody.

- The bridesmaids were fun. I need to get started on that drinking game. It's funny because Scorsese is one of the main people behind Boardwalk Empire which shuns drinking. His reaction was hilarious. Also he looked adorable in his tux.

- Big question- what was with the popcorn? Were people having popcorn throughout? Won't some of the actresses burst out of their dresses after consuming a single unit?

- Man, Hazanavicius's name-butchering will finally end. I guess his Best Director win was quite deserved.

- I love Honorary Oscars- never-ending tears. They should focus more on them though. Dick Smith and Oprah Winfrey were in tears, and James Earl Jones himself had an epic speech, or whatever little they showed of it. Then the random band played an obnoxiously happy music for them.

- The memorium was lovely and poignant. I find it creepy how so many people pass away like just few months before the Oscars (as IMDb kept informing me on my Facebook page so regularly). The ending with Elizabeth Taylor was perfect. Also the intro by Billy Crystal was probably his shining moment of the night for me. He seemed really on edge throughout.

- Oh the little tributes throughout by the actors was really nice. I love Gabourey Sidibe. Also Edward Norton should really win an Oscar already. He looks too much like an Oscar-winner to me.

- I liked that they played Black Swan's music for Natalie Portman. I loved it when she addressed Gary Oldman and a little part of me was still rooting for him (the same little part that went on screaming LEON REUNION!). Still all said and done, Jean Dujardin was a great choice. He spreads so much joy around. He should have had an act with the muppets. Also, make him star in the next muppets movie please.

- A.R. Rahman was there, with the annoying band. Indiansssss.

- Colin Firth is still so dashing. I loved the fact that they played my favourite clip of Rooney Mara's for her nomination. His intro to Meryl Streep was beyond ahmazing. They really must make another film together (especially after the Cinderella moment at the BAFTAs).

- MERYL STREEP!! WOO HOO! So what if The Iron Lady sucks and I will never watch it?! That woman is one of the greatest actors ever. It's been like 29 years since her last win, and if you look at her IMDb page, it has like a million nominations. She was relieved, and like she said, she'll never win again in all probability. Still she makes everything worthwhile and no one can truly hate her.

- Tom Cruise gave Best Film. Really, Oscars, really? The montage was nice. Kudos for the little Benedict Cumberbatch part. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close totally won.

- Kidding. So many of these nominees got nothing. TTSS, Bridesmaids, The Tree of Life (robbed), Albert Nobbs, ELIC, War Horse (thank the lord) and Harry Potter (no comments). Hugo and The Artist got 5 each and the only other multiple winner was The Iron Lady. Like duh.

- Still as much as I crib now, I will be finding myself sleep-deprived again next year. Let's hope The Hobbit, Django Unchained and The Dark Knight Rises win big. Let's hope the Oscars grow a brain and a heart in some departments. Let's hope people will look back after a hundred years or so and still wonder, like me, about the Oscars' hatred for Harry Potter. Let's hope Hugh Jackman returns soon.

Bye now.