82nd Annual Academy Awards...How Did I Do?

My Pick (guessed correctly)

My Pick (guessed incorrectly)...The Winner

My Ballot Results

Leading Actor

Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"

George Clooney "Up in the Air"

Colin Firth "A Single Man"

Morgan Freeman "Invictus"

Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

Supporting Actor

Matt Damon "Invictus"

Woddy Harrelson "The Messenger"

Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"

Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"

 Christoph Waltz "Inglorious Basterds"

Leading Actress

Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"

Helen Mirren "The Last Station"

Carey Mulligan "An Education" 

Gabourey Sidibe "Precious"

Meryl Streep "Julie & Julia"

Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz "Nine"

Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"

Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"

Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"

Mo'Nique "Precious"

Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Art Direction

Avatar

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

Sherlock Holmes

The Young Victoria

Cinematography

Avatar

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

The White Ribbon

Costume Design

Bright Star

Coco Before Chanel

The Imginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

The Young Victoria

Directing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Up

Documentary Feature

Burma VJ

The Cove

Food Inc.

The Most Dangerous Man in America...

Which Way Home

Documentary Short

China's Unnatural Disaster...

The Last Campaign of Governor ...

The Last Truck: Closing...

Music By Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

Film Editing

Avatar

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Foreign Language Film

Ajami

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

The Milk of Sorrow

Un Prophete

The White Ribbon

Makeup

Il Divo

Star Trek

The Young Victoria 

Original Score

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up

Original Song

"Almost There" The Princess and the Frog

"Down in New Orleans" The Princess and...

"Loin de Paname" Paris 36

"Take it All" Nine

"The Weary Kind" Crazy Heart

Short Film, Animated

French Roast

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

The Lady and the Reaper

Logorama

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Short Film, Live Action

The Door

Instead of Abracadabra

Kavi

Miracle Fish

The New Tennants

Sound Editing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek

Up

Sound Mixing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Visual Effects

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

Screenplay, Adapted

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air

Screenplay, Original

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

My Oscar Ballot

82nd Academy Award Main Nominations

Leading Actor:

Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart"

George Clooney "Up in the Air"

Colin Firth "A Single Man"

Morgan Freeman "Invictus"

Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon "Invictus"

Woody Harrelson "The Messenger"

Christopher Plummer "The Last Station"

Stanley Tucci "The Lovely Bones"

Christopher Waltz "Inglorious Basterds"

Leading Actress

Sandra Bullock "The Blind Side"

Helen Mirren "The Last Station"

Carey Mulligan "An Education"

Gabourey Sidibe "Precious"

Meryl Streep "Julie and Julia"

Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz "Nine"

Vera Farmiga "Up in the Air"

Maggie Gyllenhaal "Crazy Heart"

Anna Kendrick "Up in the Air"

Mo'Nique "Precious"

Directing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker 

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Up in the Air

Adapted Screenplay

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious 

Up in the Air

Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Animated Feature

Coraline

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side 

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

 

Other Choices:

Cinematography: Inglorious Basterds

Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

Sound Editing: Star Trek

Costume Design: Bright Star

Makeup: The Young Victoria

Sound Mixing: Avatar

Original Score: Sherlock Holmes

Visual Effects: Avatar

Documentary Feature: The Cove

Original Song: "The Weary Kind" (Theme from Crazy Heart)

Documentary Short: Rabbit a la Berlin
Short Film Animated: French Roast
Art Direction: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Film Editing: District 9
Short Film Live Action: Miracle Fish

The Road

I recently saw The Road. It came out this year (but did not have a very wide release). The screenplay was adapted by Joe Penhall,  and it was directed by John Hillcoat. It is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. The film follows a father and son as they travel after the world has been destroyed by great fires. Few have survived. Everyone's two main objectives are staying warm and finding food. The sky is gray. No plants of any kind have survived. Some have resorted to cannibalism.

I really enjoyed this film. Very little was said, and very little was explained. The world in the film is almost completely deserted. Few have survived the fire. Even fewer have survived the aftermath. The cast for the film was small, but each of the performances (no matter how small the cameos) were extremely powerful. The boy was played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. He gave an amazing performance, though I wasn't surprised, because he was also amazing in Romulus, My Father. The cast included Molly Parker, Garret Dillahunt, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, and Viggo Mortensen. I was probably most surprised by Mortensen's performance. I have seen him give brilliant performances before, but this was probably the most moving. I have never really seen him take on a role of this kind before. I was extremely surprised and very pleased.

I have never read the novel, so I am not sure how true the film is to the story, but I am definitely interested in reading it now. I would recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!

Have any of you seen it? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

The Day After

I am currently working on my senior year capstone project. My project is going to deal with the fine line between fact and fiction when it comes to a certain contemporary branch of science fiction films and the dystopic themes found within those films. Naturally, I am watching quite a few post-apocalyptic films (so you can expect quite a few reviews in the coming weeks).

I have seen a lot of the films that I will be discussing, but I am going to try to watch them all again with some of my project themes in mind. I had previously seen a few scenes from The Day After, but until recently, never saw it in its entirety. The film originally aired on television in 1983, and created quite a stir. It was written by Edward Hume and directed by Nicholas Meyer.The film stars JoBeth Williams, Jason Robards, John Cullum, John Lithgow, Steve Guttenberg and Amy Madigan.

It is the mid-1980s. An aggressive Soviet leadership orders troops marched to the border of West Berlin, and then decides to invade West Germany with multiple armored tank & troop divisions. In Lawrence, Kansas - on the border with Missouri - a family is preparing for the wedding of their eldest daughter, and Dr. Oakes is keeping busy in his role as chief of surgery in the small University Hospital at Lawrence. These people go on with their daily lives but are drawn closer to the possibility of a nuclear war, as the Russians use a nuclear ballistic missile against a West German city, and then attack a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf. The Americans strike back by hitting a Soviet ship, and then the Russians hit NATO regional headquarters with a nuclear warhead! People start creating makeshift fallout shelters in their basements...Many are killed outright, but still more must face the danger of radioactive fallout...

I really do not think that I was prepared for how emotional this film would make me. It wasn't particularly graphic. The special effects were not particularly realistic. The truly scary part was how realistic and logical the story seemed. This is something that could truly happen. I would definitely recommend this film. I think that everyone should see it at least once.

The Discovery of Heaven

I recently saw The Discovery of Heaven. It came out in 2001 and is directed by Jeroen Krabbe. The screenplay was adapted by Edwin de Vries and is based on the novel by Harry Mulisch. The film tells the story of an angel that must return the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments to heaven. He cannot actually go to earth, and so he must influence the lives of several humans. Those humans are Onno (Stephen Fry), Max (Greg Wise), Ada (Flora Montgomery), and Quintin (Neil Newbon). 

As far as the film goes, it was not anything spectacular. Stephen Fry was probably the most impressive. The story was actually pretty interesting. I have never read the novel, so I'm not sure how closely they match up. That said, I would definitely recommend it. The film is not readily available in many countries, but it can currently be viewed for free on Hulu.

The Princess and the Frog

I just finished watching the Princess and the Frog and LOVED it! I had pretty high expectations for this movie. Those of you that know me know that I have been waiting quite a while for Disney to come out with a new animated, musical, princess film. Those of you that know me also probably know how much I love New Orleans accents. The film had a full spectrum of characters and accents. I loved it. My favorite character was probably Ray, the firefly.

There is not much more that I can say about this film. If you are a Disney fan, you are sure to love it. You can expect all of the snappy songs, animal side-kicks, and wonderful animation of the classic Disney films, but with a new kick. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!

Dorian Gray

I just saw Dorian Gray. It was a very interesting film. I have never read the story that it is based on, but I am familiar with it. I was actually surprised by how much I liked it. I had seen the trailer, and was not too interested in it. The cast wasn't remarkable, but several actors did stand out. Colin Firth played Lord Henry Wotton and Ben Chaplin played Basil Hallward. I was extremely impressed with Ben Barnes portrayal of Dorian Gray. I had seen Barnes in several roles before this one, but was never very impressed. He really surprised me.

I am not sure when this film will be available to American audiences on a wide-scale. Many may just have to wait for it to come out on dvd, but I would definitely recommend it. It is definitely a must-see

The Abduction Club

I just finished watching the Abduction Club. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The film came out in 2002 and stars Alice Evans, Daniel Lapaine, Sophia Myles, Matthew Rhys, and Liam Cunningham. The film gets its title from a club that is formed by a group of second sons. These Irish noblemen hope to avoid becoming priests, soldiers, etc. by marrying wealthy girls. They abduct these women, and have twelve hours to convince these women to marry them. There was nothing too surprising about this film. It is your average swashbuckling romance with a little comedy thrown in. That said, I would definitely recommend it.

Pirate Radio / The Boat that Rocked

I just finished watching The Boat that Rocked (Pirate Radio -US title), and it was AWESOME! It came out a while ago in the UK and was recently released in America. It takes place in 1966. As the beginning of the film states, it was a period of time when some of the best Rock and Roll was being made, but only about 45 minutes was played every day on BBC radio. The film focuses on one radio station that chose to defy the government...Rock Radio!

The film itself was very simple. What makes it awesome is the wonderful soundtrack and the amazing ensemble cast. Philip Seymour Hoffman played the Count, Bill Nighy played Quentin, Kenneth Branagh played Sir Alistair Dormandy, Gemma Arterton played Desiree, Jack Davenport played Dominic Twatt, Rhys Ifans played Gavin Cavanagh, Talulah Riley played Marianne, and Emma Thompson played Charlotte. I was really pleased to see a lot of actors that are relatively unknown in the States. Tom Sturridge played Little Carl, Rhys Darby played Angus Nutsford, and Tom Wisdom played Mark. Some of my favorite actors from British television also made appearances. Nick Frost played Doctor Dave, Katherine Parkinson played Felicity, and Chris O'Dowd played Simple Simon.

I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!

The Lost Prince

I just finished watching the Lost Prince by Stephen Poliakoff (click here to see my past Stephen Poliakoff posts).  It came out in 2003 and originally aired in England. The film centers on the true story of Prince John (son of King George V and Queen Mary). Many forget about Prince John. He suffered from epilepsy and autism. He was locked away and isolated starting at a young age and kept out of the sight of the general public.

The film takes place during a very important time in history. It intertwines several stories that all take place at the very start of the first World War. At the time, most of the European houses were connected in some way. Below is a family tree (click to enlarge) that I created. It shows the connections between some of the very powerful figures of the time.

This film was very interesting to watch. These real stories were truly compelling, but it was the ensemble cast that truly made it worth watching. Miranda Richardson did a wonderful job as Queen Mary (it is funny since as just saw her in the Young Victoria as this character's Great-Grandmother-In-Law). Michael Gambon played Edward VII. Tom Hollander played King George V. Two of my favorite characters in the film were also played by two of my favorite actors. Bill Nighy played Stamfordham and Gina McKee played Lalla. They were both wonderful in the film.

I was probably most impresses by the young actors in the film. Daniel Williams and Matthew James Thomas both played Prince John. Brock Everitt-Elwick and Rollo Weeks both played Prince George. I was very impressed by Rollo Weeks. I have seen him in several roles (my favorite is Berkeley Square), but this was the first time when he was really able to grow as an actor and to show this to the audience.






I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!

The Handmaid's Tale

I recently watched the Handmaid's Tale. I knew a little of the story prior to seeing the film. The novel by Margaret Atwood was brought up several times in a class that I took this past semester while we were discussing the Edible Woman. I found the film to be very interesting and a little scary in the way that only truly good films can be. This film is a dystopian look at the possible future of the human race. Very few women are able to bear children. Those that can are enslaved. They are forced to become handmaids to the wealthy and powerful.

There was nothing hugely wonderful about the cast (although I do love seeing new films with Natasha Richardson). After her death, I love finding new roles of her that I have not had the chance to see before. As always, she did a wonderful job. The content and storyline make this an interesting film. It is definitely a must-see!

Young Victoria

I saw Young Victoria yesterday and really loved it. I was a little worried, because I have been looking forward to seeing it for so long, but it definitely lived up to all of the hype and anticipation. The film begins a year before Queen Victoria's coronation and follows her first few years on the throne. It was a beautiful film. The costumes and the settings were absolutely magnificent. Aside from the obvious aesthetic value, the film was also really interesting to watch. I have only every really seen the later years of Queen Victoria's life depicted. This was a really interesting period of time, that I never really knew about.

The cast was wonderful and included performances by Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, and Mark Strong. I had seen all of these actors in past performances, but the performance that I was most impressed with came from Rupert Friend. I had seen him before in the Libertine (2004), Pride and Prejudice (2005), the Last Legion (2007), and Cheri (2009). Upon watching this film, I found myself forgetting about all of the other characters that he has played. He completely transformed for this role and did a marvelous job.

In case you hadn't guessed yet, I would definitely recommend this film. If is DEFINITELY a must-see!

Quartet

I just finished watching Quartet. I have always really liked Merchant Ivory films, so I was really eager to see this one. It came out in 1981. It was directed by James Ivory and stars Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Isabelle Adjani, Anthony Higgins, and Sheila Gish. Adjani was especially good. I loved her in Queen Margot, but this film was definitely a change. I had never seen her in an English-speaking role before. She became the complete focus of nearly every scene that she was in (aside from the scenes she shared with Maggie Smith, which would be a difficult task to accomplish). She really made the film.

As with all of James Ivory's films, it was beautifully directed. The costumes and the makeup were magnificent. It was adapted from an autobiographical novel by Jean Rhys (it is interesting that I did not find this out until after the fact...click here for my review of Wide Sargasso Sea). The film shows a quadrangle between a young West Indian woman, her husband, a manipulative older man, and and his wife.

I would definitely recommend this film to any Merchant Ivory fans. It is definitely a must-see.

The Devil's Whore

Set between the years 1642 and 1660, "The Devil's Whore" charts the progress of the English Civil War through the eyes of a 17 year old girl, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe.

This was a really interesting film to watch. One of the problems with the American school system is that I have learned many different aspects of American history over and over again to the point of being quite bored. Very little of the history of other countries is taught in American school systems. I found this film to be quite interesting. In fact, most of what I know of British history, I learn from films (should I be embarrassed to admit this?).

This story was beautifully captured on film, and the cast was absolutely magnificent. Andrea Riseborough played the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, Dominic West played Oliver Cromwell, John Simm played Edward Sexby, Michael Fassbender played Thomas Rainsborough, and Peter Capaldi played King Charles I.

This miniseries is definitely a must-see. I hope you enjoy!

Shooting the Past and A Real Summer

I recently saw two more Stephen Poliakoff films (click here to see my Poliakoff post). A Real Summer is the third in a series that includes Joe's Palace and Capturing Mary. It is a short film with two characters. Ruth Wilson reprises her role as Mary Gilbert, but also plays Geraldine. She was magnificent. She really is a wonderful actress. I found myself forgetting that she was not two different people. She really did become each character.

Shooting that Past came out in 1999 (eight years before A Real Summer). Many of Poliakoff's films deal with family secrets and general themes dealing with the past. This film focuses on an enormous collection of photographs. These photographs and the people in charge of them hold their own secrets. It has a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Lindsay Duncan, Timothy Spall, Liam Cunningham, and Emilia Fox.

These two films are definitely must-sees. I would suggest first watching Capturing Mary, then Joe's Palace, and finally A Real Summer. I am not sure how the companion pieces were originally supposed to be watched, but that is the order in which I watched them. I hope you enjoy!

Wide Sargasso Sea

I just recently saw the 2006 adaptation of Wide Sargasso Sea. It is based on the re-imagined prequel to Jane Eyre by by Jean Rhys. I have always loved Jane Eyre and studies Wide Sargasso Sea this past semester in a female writers class and a contemporary theory class.

I haven't seen any of the previous adaptations, but really liked this one. It stars Rebecca Hall as Antoinette Cosway (Bertha Mason) and Rafe Spall as Edward Rochester. It was adapted for the screen by Stephen Greenhorn and directed by Brendan Maher.

I would definitely recommend this adaptation to anyone (especially to fans of Jane Eyre). It was absolutely stunning, and left me completely rethinking the original novel. Despite the fact that I already knew the ending, I was completely entranced by the tale. It is definitely a must-see.

Sparkhouse

This past week's Dream Cast Thursday was Wuthering Heights. It is a funny coincidence, because I just happened upon another adaption (to see the original post, click here). The adaptation that I saw is called Sparkhouse. It came out in 2002.

Although drepressing, this adaptation did something that I had never seen done before. It completely flipped the gender roles. Cathy became Andrew. Heathcliff became Carol. Edgar became Becky. Isabella became John. The cast was really good. Andrew was played by Joe McFadden, Carol was played by Sarah Smart, Becky was played by Camilla Power, and John was played by Richard Armitage. This film was really interesting and definitely a must-see!

Joe's Palace and Capturing Mary

I recently saw two films written by and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. I have enjoyed other films that I have seen by him in the past (especially Perfect Strangers). I had pretty high expectations for these films and am very happy to report that I was not disappointed.

The first film that I saw is called Joe's Palace. It came out in 2007. It is a drama that centers on the relationships between Joe and Elliott and Joe, Richard and Charlotte. Elliott is the rich, eccentric owner of a grand mansion. Joe is the young man hired to care for the empty house. Richard is in government. He and Charlotte are both married to other people. They come to the house for privacy.

The cast was amazing. One thing that I have come to expect from Poliakoff films is the amazing casts. Elliott Graham is played by Michael Gambon. Joe Dix is played by Danny Lee Wynter. Richard Reece is played by Rupert Penry-Jones. Charlotte is played by Kelly Reilly. Michael Gambon and Kelly Reilly were especially phenomenal. I kind of expected a wonderful performance from Gambon, but was absolutely blown away by Reilly.

The companion piece to Joe's Palace is Capturing Mary. This film came out later in 2007. This film also involves Joe, but revolves around Mary Gilbert (a older woman trying to come to grips with her past and the part the Greville White plays). The setting for this film is once again in Mr. Graham's magnificent mansion.

Joe is once again played by Danny Lee Wynter. Mary Gilbert is played by Maggie Smith and Ruth Wilson. Greville White is played by David Walliams. This cast was also magnificent (as expected). The one surprise was David Walliams. I have always seen him in comedic roles. This was the first realy dramatic role that I had seen him in. He was amazing!

These films are definitely a must-see. I would suggest seeing Perfect Strangers first. Poliakoff does an absolutely magnificent job of bringing realistic dramas about family secrets and the past. They are always a real treat.

Miss Austen Regrets

I recently watched Miss Austen Regrets. I believe that if first aired in the UK in 2008. I believe that it is currently only available in the United States as part of a set, but can be purchased on its own in the United Kingdom. It focuses on the life of Jane Austen (40s?-death). It was a really interesting film. Unlike Becoming Jane (another Austen biopic), it seemed very realistic. There were parts that were absolutely heart-breaking. This is definitely not the kind of film that I would be able to see over and over again.

This film takes one of the most famous female authors in the world, and turns her into a real person. The writer (Gwyneth Hughes) went further with this film than other films that I have seen. I applaud her for not mixing Austen up with her characters. Jeremy Lovering did a marvelous job directing the film. It was an absolute treat to watch. It had the same wonderfully beautiful look and feel as other period-dramas, but at the same time seemed a little gritty (if that makes sense).

The cast was wonderfully chosen. After seeing it, I could not imagine anyone but Olivia Williams playing Jane. There were so many dimensions to the character (many more than expected). Austen had a grace and wit, but at the same time a sadness and bitterness. Greta Scacchi and Phyllida Law gave the same wonderful performances that I have come to expect. I have seen Hugh Bonneville in many period films, but this is the first time when I have been really blown away by a performance. He did a marvelous job.

As I previously mentioned, this is not necessarily the type of film that I would buy and be able to watch over and over again, but I would definitely recommend seeing it. It is definitely a must see (especially if you are an Austen fan)!

Emma Adaptation Review

Some of you may remember that for Dream Cast Thursday a little while ago, I recast an Emma Adaptation (click here to see the post). I recently saw the latest in the long line of adaptations. Emma was a miniseries in the UK this past October. It aired in four parts. I was really interested to see some of the casting choices given my past recasting.

Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller were cast as Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley.

Blake Ritson and Christina Cole were cast and Mr. and Mrs. Elton.

Louise Dylan, Tamsin Greig and Rupert Evans were cast as Harriet Smith, Miss Bates and Frank Churchill.

There were things about this particular adaptation that I enjoyed. I really liked the way in which Frank Churchill, Emma and Jane Fairfax (played by Laura Pyper) were connected through the loss of their mothers at such a young age and the way in which Frank and Jane were connected once again by the fact that they had to leave home at such young ages.

I also really liked some of the casting choices. Christina Cole and Tamsin Greig were especially good in their parts. That said, I really didn't like this adaptation. I did not feel any real chemistry between Emma and Mr. Knightly. Although I knew the ending, I found myself feeling actual surprise that they would end up together. The notion seemed ridiculous. I found Romola Garai to be especially annoying. I spent the entire film being really annoyed with Emma. If you are a big fan of the novel, I would recommend this film, but if there is already an adaptation that you enjoy, stick with it. My personal favorite is the 1996 adaptation. If you don't have a chance to catch this film (I believe that it is currently only available for sale in the UK), do not worry. This film is NOT a must-see.