10 thoughts on…the Oscars 2010.

1. This may be the first time where the red carpet was a source of genuine entertainment. In recent years the Academy Awards have been quite dull when it has come to fashion but this year everyone seemed to having…dare I say it…fun!! Even Sarah Jessica Parker dared to venture out of her Carrie Bradshaw prescribed garb for something more interesting (an appropriate word for a gown I hated it then I grew to love before falling into a state of confusion!). Just look at the five women – maybe ignore Anna Kendrick‘s pale choice – below, this is what Oscar is all about; glamour!

2. It is a shame then, that the stage was so unforgiving to the more elaborate of dresses. Zoe Saldana, Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lopez, Sandra Bullock and Barbara Streisand all struggled from one platform to another. Most memorable was Kathryn Bigelow‘s difficulty whilst returning for her Best Picture win. Adorable as ever.

3. The only true surprise of the evening was a delight (for me, anyway). Precious deserved the recognition of Adapted Screenplay to compliment its assured win for Mo’Nique. It was so much more than that wonderful performance, and this second win should ensure it’ll be remembered as such. Plus Geoffrey Fletcher (the recipient) gave us the most genuinely appreciative speech of the night and was genuinely moved. It is a shame then that despite Mo’Nique’s statement that Oscar saw beyond the poltics of race, the camera would focus solely on African American actors whilst Precious was under discussion. It would seem segregation is still supported by the Academy, albeit in a limited form.

4. The award for best presenters of the night would have to go to Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana. I so want these two to have the careers their talents (and they have that in spades) deserve. How cute they were!…

5. …Unlike Sandy Powell who dedicated her third Oscar (for Costume Design) to those designers who work in genres of film that are not considered ‘worthy’ by the Academy. A completely justified complaint that will only fall onto deaf ears. Still, it is always good to have a cynic in the group.

6. The ceremony seemed to strive for old fashioned Hollywood glamour yet it rarely distinguished itself from its fellow prize givings. Until this moment…the silhouettes of Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker shrowded by the might of Hollywood, lights beaming from all angels – this is the Oscars; a theatrical celebration of those we idolize (for now anyway).
   

7. Why refuse performances of the nominated Original Songs when you’re going to bore us all with some ghetto dancing to the Original Score nominees? This was the biggest mistep of a relatively enjoyable show. Well that and Neil Patrick Harris‘s opening ‘showstopper’ – unnecessary and dull.

8. My biggest joy of the evening was discovering Vera Farmiga, Michelle Pfeiffer and – my one and only – Julianne Moore honouring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth, respecitvely, during the presentation of Best Actor. How Oscar teases me so! These three women should be Oscar winners by now!

9. Back before it was fashionable, I mused over Sandra Bullock’s chance at Oscar glory. It remains rather shocking that she is an Oscar nominee, let alone an Oscar winner. And yet I could never begrudge her this crowning. Especially as her acceptance speech was one of the most graceful I have ever seen (when has a winner been so celebratory of their fellow nominees?).

10. I like The Hurt Locker, it’s a wonderful film that deserves its recignition yet I cannot help but feel that a future viewing will be tainted by the repeated dedication of its wins to soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan, etc. My adoration for this film stemmed out of its focus on America’s pointless need for war, so the promotion of it as an ingrained part of American culture seems inappropriate. Although compared to her sentimental mention of firemen (“they are here for us and we are there for them”), it seems apt.

10 thoughts on…the BAFTAs 2010.

1. The British have been crowned. Hoorah for Colin Firth and Carey Mulligan. They are incredibly adorable! “Don’t ever press send until you’ve had your fridge repaired”. Wise words from Firth. Words that Mulligan wants. Hoorah!
2. Vanessa Redgrave is such a wonderful person. How genuine her happiness was at receiving the Fellowship. She even made my eyes water.
3. Pete Docter‘s speech for Up‘s win for Animated Film was very cute. I wish my (eventual?) husband would dedicate such a film to me.
4. Prince William looked bemused the whole time. Could he be regretting his role as president of the BAFTAs already?
5. Speaking of which…Dustin Hoffman was the most glum member of the audience ever. He wasn’t even moved by Vanessa. Grr!
6. Democracy is overrated. After losing to Sandra Bullock at the Globes and SAG awards, Carey Mulligan now had to lose to Kristen Stewart in the publicly voted Rising Star Award. Boo!
7. Pairing the theme music to Cinema Paradiso with the montage of the deceased seems incredibly wrong.
8. Michael Giacchino with Up wins for Music. Come on Oscar!
9. I love Kristin Scott Thomas. She looked wonderful…if only she had taken Mo’Nique down for Supporting Actress and had the opportunity to strut her stuff on stage!
10. Jonathan Ross was, as ever, a delightful host. I particularly liked his joke about The Hangover, tigers and Tiger Woods.

10 5 thoughts on…the 82nd Academy Award nominations.

1. A good day for Irish film; The Secret of Kells resides alongside the Hollywood elite for Animated Feature Film while Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty continues Brown Bag Films’ Oscar success with the Short Animated Feature. Hoorah!
2. Sandra Bullock is unstoppable! The Blind Side can only thank her for its Best Picture nomination. Her fun mediocrity is infectious.
3. “Shame on you!“; Julianne Moore deserves to be pissed that Penelope Cruz made it onto the Supporting Actress list with her autopilot performance in Nine.
4. Nine‘s awful ‘Cinema Italiano’ was snubbed for Original Song while the superior ‘Take It All’ was included. Hoorah! Will Marion Cotillard be striping on March 7th?
5. This year is very boring. And disappointing. Snore!

10 thoughts on…the SAG Awards 2010.

1. I will now admit that I have never sat through a live showing of an American film award ceremony. This was my first. Virginity lost. And guess what?…the experience has tainted my view of awards themselves. Sure there were wonderful moments of joy but these were spoiled by the pretentiousness and politics of the whole ceremony, starting with a live montage of “I am X and I am an actor” (how embarrassing!) and ending with Eli Roth accepting Inglourious Basterds‘s Ensemble actor (Quentin Tarantino is a better actor than Roth – he is that bad).
2. Colin Firth brought Tom Ford as his date. How dapper both men are! Ford excites me as much as the combined super hunk of Zac Efron and Robert Pattinson would excite a teenage girl. Oh my!
3. Sandra Bullock is now the woman to beat for the Actress Oscar. My feelings remain mixed on this. I love her, I do but I love the performance of Carey Mulligan and the expression of disappointment that filled her face at the Globes and here just kills me. Hopefully a BAFTA win will suffice for Mulligan this year. While Meryl Streep will have to play the Kate Winslet card and start demanding an Oscar for services rendered.
4. Glee‘s win for TV Comedy Ensemble (or whatever the hell it is called) made me heartwarmingly happy. Have I succumb to its charms?!?
5. The television acceptance speeches were more fun than the acting ones (can someone please tell me what Bullock was on about?!). Julianna Margulies exposed the lack of pride her parents had for her work in Snakes on a Plane while Michael C. Hall thanked his wife for wearing “that dress”.
6. Nicole Kidman abandoned her Hollywood gown for a kooky look that allowed her fun side to shine again. I’m back in love with her (it is tough being a fan of Nic!).
7. I had no idea that the father of Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz in In Her Shoes (Ken Howard) was the president of the FAG SAG.
8. Sandra Bullock + Betty White = only laughs of the evening. Bullock jokes about the annoyance of White only to fall victim to White’s backhanded praise: “isn’t it heartening to see how far a girl as plain as she is can go”. Glorious!
9. Mo’Nique is way too intense. Remember to smile when you win your Oscar (Bullock, Jeff Bridges and Christoph Waltz certainly will).
10. Inglourious Basterds takes the top prize. Hoorah! It had a terrific cast with impressive performances and undoubtedly deserves the recognition.

10 thoughts on…the Golden Globes 2010

1. I do not like Ricky Gervais.
2. I am SO happy that Michael Giacchino won Best Original Score! Hoorah!
3. The double win of Film (Drama) and Director for Avatar has only increased my love for The Hurt Locker. (Although I really have to see Avatar now!)
4. I do love Sandra Bullock but I can’t help but feel a little bit guilty for any joy felt for her win. Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe deserve the recognition more.
5. Is it just me or is Penelope Cruz becoming Sophia Loren?!?
6. The most perfect pairing. I can’t wait to see A Single Man again! (Isn’t Tom Ford the most beautiful man on the planet?)
   
7. Mo’Nique still scares me. She may have put down that TV but now it seems she picked up the Bible. I like my acceptance speeches without a slice of devote Christianity. (He did not get you that Globe dear.)
8. What happened to glamor? Everyone went low key or sickly (Nicole Kidman) or desperate (Jennifer Aniston) or pregnant (Amy Adams)…wait…oh yes. Thank God Mr & Mrs Ford for Tom. Mmmm…he did look the part!
9. I think Nicole Kidman has lost all appeal for me. This is a worrying development. Her presentation of Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture just irritated me. Especially with its cuts to Keith Urban. Urgh.
10. (To answer my question from my predictions) Meryl Streep gave a better speech than Bullock’s. Both were of an unexpectedly serious nature, but Streep felt new while Bullock came across as a cliche.

10 thoughts on…cinema in 2010.

1. I will find myself obsessing over Sex and the City 2…only to be disappointed once I catch up with the girls on release. Why do I do this to myself?!?
2. Rabbit Hole and The Danish Girl (if it makes a 2010 release) will reinstate Nicole Kidman as cinema’s indie queen and continue her trend of box-office misfires…YAY and boo! Not that this means the films will be bad, only that they won’t appeal to a wide audience. Perhaps one day the media will note this and not condemn her for her left of the field flare.

3. Harry Potter will reach its cinematic conclusion. Hoorah! Unfortunately Twilight will be around a bit longer…unless fans lose their inner (and in so me cases, outer) teenage girl.

4. Rob Marshall will be kicked off directing duties of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 due to a worldwide epiphany regarding his lack of talent. If only…

5. Iron Man II will overreach and succumb to the usual issues of blockbuster sequels. When will they ever learn?!?

6. Burlesque will surprise and delight everyone. Wishful thinking? Perhaps…but there is hope in the form of Cher, Alan Cumming and Stanley Tucci.

7. Mo’Nique will adopt a more charming demeanor than her Precious creation…but will only succeed in scaring the shit out of audiences. Usually I would encourage talent, but this woman is too good at playing evil. I’ve more sympathy for Adolf Hitler.

8. I predict The Black Swan (again, if it makes a 2010 release) as best of the year.

9. Disney will continue to reign supreme with The Princess and the Frog, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, Rapzunel, as well as some Oscar nominations for Up.

10. Sandra Bullock will win the Oscar for Best Actress.

10 thoughts on…the Golden Globe Nominations 2010.

1. Hoorah! This is a love-fest for some of my favourite female actors. Most noticeably with Julianne Moore‘s inclusion for Best Supporting Actress. Can she take this momentum all the way to the Oscar list? (And should I dare to dream that she could beat the overpowering Mo’Nique as some form of career recognition?).
2. Will Quentin Tarantino and Inglorious Basterds be shown the same interest with the Academy Award nominations? It would be swell to see Tarantino make an Oscar ‘comeback’! And it would also ensure a deserving win for Christoph Waltz for Supporting Actor (he’d look good posing alongside Moore and their Oscars, right?).
3. I had read that Avatar had not been seen by many voters of the Golden Globes, so its inclusion is surprising and, perhaps, based more on buzz than the actual film? The recent surge of reviews suggest that it won’t be the disappointment many were anticipating, it may be a comfortable Oscar contender.
4. YAY! The Hurt Locker, Sandra Bullock (x2), Colin Firth, Emily Blunt (they love her!), Stanley Tucci, Vera Farmiga, Kathryn Bigelow and that Michael Giacchino nomination for Up!
5. Boo! My hope that they might recognise Tilda Swinton‘s flawless performance in Julia was ignored. They should get over their fascination with awarding Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts at any opportunity. Has Alfred Molina been forgotten for An Education? And will he ever get the attention he deserves?
6. It’s Complicated nominated for Best Screenplay?!? That is a bold brave statement. Will other award bodies root for Nancy Meyers‘ film in a similar way? Should Meryl Streep be gunning for Oscar with this instead of Julie & Julia? Or should she stick to her Oscar-safe role as celebrity-they-adore-playing-another-celebrity-they-adore?
7. Bullock would seem ripe for Oscar love, right? Abbie Cornish is gone. Marion Cotillard may find herself kicked back into the Supporting Actress race (to the loss of Moore’s nomination?). And then there will be room for herself and Helen Mirren to join Streep, Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe. Or else she will have to battle Cotillard, which would prove interesting…
8. (500) Days of Summer is proving quite the contender…still too ‘hip’ for Oscar though. Right?
9. I am very excited to see who will win in every category! Even the supporting acting categories where things are pretty much settled for Mo’Nique and Waltz. Will Mulligan beat Sidibe? Will Bigelow beat old flame Cameron (great tabloid fodder!)? Can Moore/Tucci beat Mo’Nique/Waltz?
10. Is it me, or could any nominee for Motion Picture Drama win? I think you could make cases for any of them. Perhaps Inglorious Basterds is the weakest, but they did love it. Mmmm…

10 thoughts on…Mark Lawson Talks To Imelda Staunton.

1. I am convinced Imelda Staunton is my mother with a thinly veiled disguise. I’ve never seen them together in the same room! If you’ve ever met my mother you’d agree.
2. She should have that Oscar for Vera Drake. Will Mike Leigh bring her back into the game with their 2010 partnership? (With Jim Broadbent…I can’t wait!).
3. I love BBC iPlayer. Life with David Attenborough, Cranford (featuring a Staunton, Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins!) and so much more…Time-stealing at its most rewarding.
4. Mike Leigh is a successful Oscar predictor?
5. I wish a casting director had the balls to cast her as Juliet (in Romeo & Juliet) too.
6. I now want my favourite filmmakers to win a Venice Film Festival award more than an Oscar…it sounds so dreamy!
7. I should really complete that script of mine with a character fit for Staunton (see 1 for why).
8. She lives two doors down from Emma Thompson!!!! What a glorious piece of trivia.
9. I should see Taking Woodstock…I do love Ang Lee.
10. “I’m still open to offers”: everyone take note.

10 thoughts on…The London Times’ Top 100 Films of the Noughties

The list.

1. Where is Moulin Rouge!? And Before Sunset? Vera Drake? INLAND EMPIRE?
2. Little gems Morvern Callar (96) and Me, You and Everyone We Know (80) make the list! Hoorah!
3. I should really get my hands on Children of Men (52) ASAP.
4. Is it me or is the world obsessed with Michael Haneke right now? I guess I’ll have no choice but to join them and see The White Ribbon…
5. American comedies are more popular than English ones…
6. Fernando Meirelles’ The Constant Gardner (52) placed higher than his debut, and the greater cinematic offering that is City of God (66). Mmmm…
7. Casino Royale (8) continues to be overrated by the English press, and yet is still beaten by The Bourne Supremacy/The Bourne Ultimatum (2).
8. I love so many noughtie films…Waltz with Bashir (65), Volver (56), Sideways (27), Dancer in the Dark (25), Far From Heaven (22), there are so many!
9. The Queen (9), Casino Royale (8), The Last King Of Scotland (7), Slumdog Millionaire (6). Solid films, but rather conventional stuff for the top ten- surely British cinema has achieved more than these? Just look at Mike Leigh.
10. I will continue rechecking the list until Moulin Rouge! appears.

10 thoughts on the 81st Academy Awards…

1. Am I alone or did Oscar’s attempt at attracting a younger demographic fall decidedly flat? Minus the terrific presentations of the acting awards, the show consistently struggled to find its feet and left many of the presenters embarrassed (here’s looking at you Daniel Craig!).
2. Hugh Jackman is the new Rob Lowe. He just had Anne Hathaway instead of Snow White.
3. A surprising feeling of disappointment swept over me as Penelope Cruz was announced the supporting actress winner. It would have been lovely to see Viola Davis win. (Although all was forgetton when Cruz singled-out Pedro Almodovar for praise during her speech).
4. I loved the presentations of the acting awards! Look here, here, here and here. An inspired idea that brought me close to tears on a handful of occassions.
5. Baz Luhrmann got back at America and Oscar for snubbing his Australia with that awful musical number. I hope they learnt their lesson!
6. Has Sarah Jessica Parker turned into Carrie Bradshaw?!?
7. When will the Slumdog backlash begin?
8. Do you think Kate Winslet feels the whole Oscar thing is a little anti-climatic? Maybe her Oscar hunger won’t be satisfied just yet…
9. Nicole Kidman looked amazing, she did Australia proud (unlike Jackman and Luhrmann). I’m back in love with her. I think its time for a return to form!
10. Hopefully next year’s show will retain the deserving winners but with less predictability and no MTV-esque shananigans.