Today, January 26th 2011, the nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced. These nominations are always ripe for discussion and are definately fun to discuss: did they get it right this time or are there serious oversights? Where are my favorite films of the last year? Who do I think will win and who do I want to win? I love discussions like this and I love predicting the winners, so that's what I'll do here. I'll tell you for each of the major categories what I think of the Academy's choices, who I think will win and who I think should win. I do have a side note: as I live in the Netherlands, I have not seen every film on the list, so my choices are based on both my own experiences and what I've heard/read about them. The film's I have seen, I've made italic. It's the best I can do! Let's go.
Best Picture
Nominated: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone.
Who will win: The Social Network. It swept the Golden globes, captured the zeitgeist as no other film has done this year and scores well with nominations in the other categories. The heaviest competition comes from The King's Speech.
Who should win: They're all great films of course, and I can be perfectly happy with TSN winning, but I would really like to see Toy Story 3 or Inception take the big crown. But Chris Nolan has not been nominated for best director, which is never a good sign and Oscar hardly ever loves blockbusters, even highly intelligent ones as Inception. Toy Story 3 has been nominated for Animated Feature (which it will probably win), but it deserves so much more!
Black Swan is probably a bit too heavy on the weird side (which the Academy seems to appreciate from anyone but Aronofsky), but Aronofsky will get his chance later in his career. The Coens won previously with No Country For Old Men, and Westerns haven't won since Dances With Wolves, so they're not going to win. Danny Boyle already won a baldie for the magnificent Slumdog Millionaire. The Fighter will be knocked out by the other heavy hitters. The Kids... and Winter's Bone are this year's obligatory indies and even though they are (probably) very good, they won't stand a chance against this year's favorites.
I thought Buried could have gotten a nomination, for to keep me glued on the edge of my seat for over 90 minutes while watching one man in one location surely deserves some love. And maybe Monsters could have been this year's District 9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans was brilliant, but probably a bit too much for the Academy.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated: Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The King's Speech), James Franco (127 Hours).
Who will win: Colin Firth. It's his year. He faces tough competition from Bridges, but he won last year for Crazy Heart, so he won't win this year. Should he do win, than it would be the first time that two actors won 'Best Actor' for the same role, as John Wayne won his only Oscar for portraying Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 version of True Grit. I can't remember who pointed that out to me, but thank you for that.
Who should win: Based on what I've read about it, Colin Firth would be an excellent winner, but I'm going with Jesse Eisenberg, whom I thought gave a powerhouse performance in The Social Network, making me sympathize with what could have been a very hateable character in Mark Zuckerberg.
Bardem and Franco are excellent actors, but they don't stand a chance against the others.
I thought Ryan Reynolds could have been given a nomination for his sizling turn in Buried, which I thought was one of the best films I've seen in 2010. Nicholas Cage chewed up the screen in Bad Lieutenant, but his character was too way out there to be considered.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated: Christian Bale (The Fighter), John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)
Who will win: Geoffrey Rush. He's played many great roles and TKS has no real competition in this category (but, of course, since I haven't seen the other films apart from The Town, that's a bit of a guess).
Who should win: Geoffrey Rush, even though Renner was great in The Town.
This could actually be a very open category, and the Academy sometimes picks outsiders or popular actors (who haven't won before) as a sort of sympathy vote, but I think the acclaim for TKS will swing this one towards Rush.
I've read that Ryan Gosling was great in Blue Valentine, but since that one hasn't been released here yet, I can't properly comment on that.
Actress in a Leading Role
Nominated: Anette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit's Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)
Who will win: Annette Bening. She's been nominated three times before, is a very respected actress who has been around since the mid-eighties, so I think this will be her year. Biggest competition comes from Lawrence and Portman.
Who should win: Everybody was stunned by Jennifer Lawrence's electric performance in Winter's Bone, so I'm going with her. I also really like Portman, so she would be my second choice.
Kidman won before and Rabbit's hole isn't that high a profile film, so I think she's out. Portman, Williams and Lawrence are all still young, so their time will come later. It's Bening all the way.
What really bugs me is that the Academy has failed to reward the awesome Noomi Rapace for her careermaking role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. For a long time it was the role everyone was talking about and it was the most sough-after role for young actresses when Fincher started casting his American remake. Shame on you Academy! (It could be a technical reason that she isn't nominated, as the film came out way earlier in Sweden than in America, so that could be it.)
Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated: Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailey Steinfeld (True Grit), Jackie Weaver (Animal Kingdom).
Who will win: I think Helena Bonham Carter will ride the win wave for The King's Speech. As she's a fantastic and eccentric actress, I can totally live with that.
Who should win: Hailey Steinfeld. Bonham Carter can win on my account, but I understand that Steinfeld is very, very good in True Grit opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon and could follow in the line of Shirley Temple, Anna Paquin, etc.
Adams and Leo cancel each other out and The Fighter isn't a real contender. I must admit that I haven't even heard of Animal Kingdom, so I rule Jackie Weaver out too.
Could it have hurt the Academy to give Chloe Moretz a nod? She set the screen alight in Kick-Ass and Let Me In and she is destined for great things! I'm sure she was better than Adams, Leo or Weaver...
Animated Feature Film
Nominated: How To Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3.
Who will win: Toy Story 3. It should even win Best Picture. it was the most well-rounded and emotional film of 2010 and one of the few 3D films in which the 3D was of a high standard.
Who should win: Toy Story 3. No question about it.
I thought Tangled (or Rapunzel as is its name in The Netherlands) also deserved a nod; Old school Disney fun and drama in an excellent visual style.
Directing
Nominated: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), David Fincher (The Social Network), The Coens (True Grit).
Who will win: David Fincher (The Social Network). To make such an exciting film about the creation of a website and get such great performances out of each and every actor in it will bag Fincher the Oscar.
Who should win: David Fincher for the reasons mentioned above. But maybe actually Christopher Nolan should (see below)
Tom Hooper's the biggest competition and the Academy could swing his way. The Coens already won for No Country... Darren Aronofsky is a dangerous outsider and I don;t see O. Russell winning this one.
NO CHRISTOPHER NOLAN!? Really Academy, how could you! Critically acclaimed, highly intelligent, extremely entertaining, endlesly rewatchable and it made a shitload of money; it is an absolute shame that he isn't nominated.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Nominated: 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone.
Who will win: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network. A massive achievement to make such potential boring material into a Shakespearian drama.
Who should win: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network, as I mentioned above. Although Toy Story 3 would also be a very deserving winner.
All good adaptations, but none can match the brilliance of Sorkin's script. Except maybe the Pixar crew.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
Nominated: Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech
Who will win: David Seidler for The King's Speech. It will ride the victory wave for this film.
Who should win: Christopher Nolan for Inception. His long-gestating idea was translated to a brilliant mind-fuck script which kept me going back to it (5 times!) and it still keeps me thinking about it even now. In my opinion without a doubt the best original screenplay, maybe even in the last years.
Music (Original Score)
Nominated: How To Train Your Dragon, Inception, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network.
Who will win: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network. Their score elevated TSN to a whole new level and the excellent score was the first thing I noticed in the film and the first thing I recommended the film for. I think The Academy agrees. Inception and The King's Speech is heavy competition though.
Who should win: The Social Network. As I mentioned above, the score is absolutely awesome. But if TSN doesn't win, then Hans Zimmer's mindboggling, intelligent and artistic score for Inception is a very, very worthy winner.
I would have thought Daft Punk would have been nominated for their incredible score for Tron: Legacy, but since Tron wasn't nominated in any other category )mostly effects of course), my giess is that it was released too late to be eligible for this year's competition. If it was eligible than it is a grave oversight by the Academy.
I'll leave it at this. I noticed how hard it is to judge the nominations when most of the nominated films haven't been released here yet, having to base it on buzz, articles and hearsay, but I've tried my hardest. I'm really looking forward to Oscar night on February 27th and I will be glued to the screen the whole night. I hope you will enjoy it too.
2011-01-25
2010-08-25
The Expendables (cinema review)
This review is written after seeing the film for the second time; first on a pre-premiere on August 13th and then again on the normal premiere on August 19th.
It was surprising to see how many ladies were in the audience for this movie. That goes for both visits. Most of them were probably dragged along by their boyfriends, possibly as a revenge sort of thing for the last time they had no choice but to come and see some romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughy. This supposing to be the ultimate bloke movie, I truly expected the room to be filled with guys. Also there was a genuine excited atmosphere. It seems as everyone was really looking forward to this film.
The movie starts with an explosive shootout aboard a ship near Somalia and it instantly shows us who these guys are. The violence immediately sets the tone for the whole movie and it also garners the first laughs from the audience. It is visceral and a bit cartoony at the same time. The first remarks about age are made by Statham and Stallone themselves, an obvious theme in this film. From here on The Expendables take us on a ride that only ends about two hours later and I’ve loved the ride. We left the cinema with a big smile on our faces, discussing which action heroes we would like to see in the sequel (Van Damme! Seagal! Norris! Russell!). And we were not the only one!
Stallone, who has been nominated for an Oscar for the first Rocky, may not have written the best script, but the man knows how to shoot action scenes. The plot isn’t the most important thing about this film. It’s basically a men-on-a-mission movie to overthrow a dictator and his evil former CIA partner with supersized violence. The effects used are a bit wobbly sometimes, which is one of the few letdowns, something that could and should have been better, considering the budget. But the interaction between the guys is great, they are obviously having fun, even with their somewhat silly names (Barney Ross? Hale Caesar? Yin Yang? Lee Christmas? Tool?). The difference between us and them is, they make even those names sound cool. What’s also obvious from their dialogue is that these guys have been together for a long time and have been through quite a lot. There is an enormous sense of loyalty towards each other. And even if we don’t really go into their psyches, except for a scene between Stallone and Rourke, that doesn’t matter that much to continue the story.
Now if this movie was made in the 80’s, it would not have been a team effort, it would simply have been Stallone invading a fictional country in South America the size of Peru and conquering it. And even if the violence is on par with films like Commando, Cobra and Rambo 2 & 3, they are not so invulnerable as they would have been 25 years ago. They get shot (although not much) and some of the Expendables get their asses kicked. But I got into the same giddy mood I used to have when I was a kid in the 80’s watching those action flicks, so there was nostalgia there too. And the scene with Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger? It’s the coffee shop scene from Heat for the action crowd. This is not a masterclass in acting, it’s supposed to be fun. And it is!
It’s basically balls-to-the-walls action and that’s exactly what I wanted to see. After the pre-premiere we immediately decided that we’d go again on the official premiere. The second time I was actually looking forward to certain action scenes, no matter how over-the-top they were. The room was packed again and it seemed like everybody had a great time. Will there be a third viewing? Probably, yes.
Verdict: While it may not have the best plot or the most ingenious plot twists you’re going to see this year, it delivers on its promise of fun and balls-to-the-walls action. Most fun I had in the cinema this year, a true ‘mangasm’.
It was surprising to see how many ladies were in the audience for this movie. That goes for both visits. Most of them were probably dragged along by their boyfriends, possibly as a revenge sort of thing for the last time they had no choice but to come and see some romantic comedy with Matthew McConaughy. This supposing to be the ultimate bloke movie, I truly expected the room to be filled with guys. Also there was a genuine excited atmosphere. It seems as everyone was really looking forward to this film.
The movie starts with an explosive shootout aboard a ship near Somalia and it instantly shows us who these guys are. The violence immediately sets the tone for the whole movie and it also garners the first laughs from the audience. It is visceral and a bit cartoony at the same time. The first remarks about age are made by Statham and Stallone themselves, an obvious theme in this film. From here on The Expendables take us on a ride that only ends about two hours later and I’ve loved the ride. We left the cinema with a big smile on our faces, discussing which action heroes we would like to see in the sequel (Van Damme! Seagal! Norris! Russell!). And we were not the only one!
Stallone, who has been nominated for an Oscar for the first Rocky, may not have written the best script, but the man knows how to shoot action scenes. The plot isn’t the most important thing about this film. It’s basically a men-on-a-mission movie to overthrow a dictator and his evil former CIA partner with supersized violence. The effects used are a bit wobbly sometimes, which is one of the few letdowns, something that could and should have been better, considering the budget. But the interaction between the guys is great, they are obviously having fun, even with their somewhat silly names (Barney Ross? Hale Caesar? Yin Yang? Lee Christmas? Tool?). The difference between us and them is, they make even those names sound cool. What’s also obvious from their dialogue is that these guys have been together for a long time and have been through quite a lot. There is an enormous sense of loyalty towards each other. And even if we don’t really go into their psyches, except for a scene between Stallone and Rourke, that doesn’t matter that much to continue the story.
Now if this movie was made in the 80’s, it would not have been a team effort, it would simply have been Stallone invading a fictional country in South America the size of Peru and conquering it. And even if the violence is on par with films like Commando, Cobra and Rambo 2 & 3, they are not so invulnerable as they would have been 25 years ago. They get shot (although not much) and some of the Expendables get their asses kicked. But I got into the same giddy mood I used to have when I was a kid in the 80’s watching those action flicks, so there was nostalgia there too. And the scene with Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger? It’s the coffee shop scene from Heat for the action crowd. This is not a masterclass in acting, it’s supposed to be fun. And it is!
It’s basically balls-to-the-walls action and that’s exactly what I wanted to see. After the pre-premiere we immediately decided that we’d go again on the official premiere. The second time I was actually looking forward to certain action scenes, no matter how over-the-top they were. The room was packed again and it seemed like everybody had a great time. Will there be a third viewing? Probably, yes.Verdict: While it may not have the best plot or the most ingenious plot twists you’re going to see this year, it delivers on its promise of fun and balls-to-the-walls action. Most fun I had in the cinema this year, a true ‘mangasm’.
2010-08-17
1001 DVD's to watch
Welcome to my blog.
Being a big moviefan, I started buying dvd's in 2002 and my collection has grown considerably in the past few years. I bought almost everything I liked. Not just films, but also tv shows, music dvd's and sports dvd's (especially about the Dutch national football team, another passion of mine). I haven't been able to watch everything I have on the shelves and that's a shame, so I decided to make a challenge for myself: I will watch every dvd I own and write a review about it. That should keep me busy for a while... Feel free to leave your own remarks, as long as you keep it civilized. We can always agree to disagree, but discussing movies is too much fun not to do it!
As I am an frequent cinema-goer, I'll also try to review the latest releases when I've seen them. I hope you like it!
With kind regards,
Tomas
Being a big moviefan, I started buying dvd's in 2002 and my collection has grown considerably in the past few years. I bought almost everything I liked. Not just films, but also tv shows, music dvd's and sports dvd's (especially about the Dutch national football team, another passion of mine). I haven't been able to watch everything I have on the shelves and that's a shame, so I decided to make a challenge for myself: I will watch every dvd I own and write a review about it. That should keep me busy for a while... Feel free to leave your own remarks, as long as you keep it civilized. We can always agree to disagree, but discussing movies is too much fun not to do it!
As I am an frequent cinema-goer, I'll also try to review the latest releases when I've seen them. I hope you like it!
With kind regards,
Tomas
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