Today is another list. I worked on trying to put out the Soundtrack on 2012, best songs of the year, but that just seemed too subjective, so instead these are my top ten bold statements in movies this year. Call it an Oscar preview with a couple other facts sprinkled in.
 |
| Hugo Weaving in Cloud Atlas |
Cloud Atlas will win best Makeup Design at the Academy Awards: And the fact that anyone else will be nominated is just a joke. Without a doubt Cloud Atlas is the best makeup designed movie of the year, if not of the decade. To think the amount of makeup that they had to go through a day on set is mind-blowing. Although the movie has been slammed for casting white actors in 'yellow face,' aka casting non asians to play asians this movie made the right decision and I found no racism involved in their decision. The movie is so amazingly complicated that it could only have worked to carry the same actors through the entire story line. And while a couple of the makeup designs were so-so, the rest were absolutely amazing. Trailer
 |
| Benedict Cumberbatch |
Star Trek: Into Darkness will be Amazing Despite Alice Eve: Two words: Benedict Cumberbatch. This new teaser trailer looks awesome. Yes, I think there is too much CGI, but need I remind anyone who is directing the film. Last week I said that I trust Christopher Nolan fully, this week I say the same thing about JJ Abrams. In the world of film he has yet to let me down. And the villain is Benedict Cumberbatch. I have zero shame in saying that I have a man-crush on the BBC's Sherlock actor Cumberbatch. Just from watching him on Sherlock I can think of no better villain in the next Star Trek movie than him. And we don't know who he is. Speculation has it that he is playing the revenge hungry ex Dictator Khan, but he also could be playing ex-crewman Gary Marshall. Either way I'm hooked. If you go and see The Hobbit in IMAX the movie is being preceded with the first nine minutes of the new Star Trek movie, so hopefully we will know the identity by then. The only things that have me slightly concerned about the new film are the facts that Damon Lindelof is one of the writers and Alice Eve. Lindelof was a great writer, producer in my eyes until he ruined JJ Abram's Lost, and since then he has written Cowboys & Aliens (Flop) and the worst movie in two decades, Prometheus. My other concern is Alice Eve who looks like a love interest for Kirk. What the hell is Abrams doing casting Alice Eve? Alice Eve who is only good in one movie, Stage Beauty and shit in movies like She's Out of My League, Sex in the City 2, ATM, and The Raven. Yes, she is beautiful, but c'mon, at least Zoe Saldana is beautiful but can act. Trailer
 |
| The Duchess |
Keira Knightley is the Katherine Heigl of Period Pieces: Whether she is running down a hall in Atonement or running down a hall in Anna Karenina or running down a hall and being boring in A Dangerous Method or running down a hall and being boring in The Duchess or she is running down a hall in Pride and Prejudice (Not the good one with Colin Firth); you are bound to see Keira Knightley in a large period dress running down a hallway. Much in the same way that Heigl is now the go-to actress for shitty "romantic comedies" (at last count she has made at least 8), Knightley is now one in the same, except with terrible period pieces, no that's unfair to say. Her movies aren't terrible, she is just terrible. Stick her back in Star Wars A Phantom Menace when she didn't talk behind Natalie Portman.
Searching for Sugar Man Will be Nominated for Best Documentary: Hands down this is one of the best documentaries of the past year. It tells the story of a 70's rock legend, Rodriguez, who had little fame in America and then disappeared. In the meantime he has grown to be bigger than Elvis and idolized in South Africa. If you get a chance, watch this movie. Trailer
 |
| Quvenzhane Wallis |
Quvenzhane Wallis Will Be Nominated for Best Actress: And then every presenter will have a problem pronouncing her name. If Wallis is nominated she would be the youngest ever to be nominated at just 6 years-old. Her performance as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild is absolutely Earth-Shattering. This is another one of those movies that if you get a chance, watch it, immediately. Trailer
 |
| Lincoln |
Daniel Day-Lewis Will Win Best Actor: No doubt. Denzel Washington was amazing in Flight, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables (will be), and many more were great this year, but they don't come close to Daniel Day-Lewis. Every time he decides to perform a movie role, he is immediately put into Oscar contention, but this performance is a step and above. He does the impossible by humanizing Abraham Lincoln. There is one moment early on in the movie where he comes into a room where his son Tad has fallen asleep by the fireplace. He picks up the pictures of slaves he was looking at and puts them aside, then he lies down next to his son, until Tad groggily wakes up. Tad then climbs on top on Lincoln's back and he carries him to bed. There is something so human about the scene that it nearly brings you to tears. Even if I didn't know all the research Day-Lewis puts into his roles, I would've been able to see it through his remarkable ability to create a completely new side to a historical figure. This film is a triumph of the human condition created by an unbelievably amazing actor. Full Lincoln Q & A
 |
| Moonrise Kingdom |
Moonrise Kingdom Will Be Nominated for Best Picture: Wes Anderson is at it again. Although there is a great debate about which of his films is his best, whether it be Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums or Fantastic Mr. Fox or one of his others, this film should and will get his first best picture nomination. The way in which Anderson flips us in and out of an actually serious situation with light hearted humor and his typical slow, but witty banter is astonishing. Everyone carried their own weight on this film, which isn't always the case with a cast of huge names. Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, are all big enough names to carry their own movie, but here they play fully formed but secondary characters to two kids, Jared Gilman (13) and Kara Hayward (14), the latter who would receive an Oscar Nom in any ordinary year. This may not be Anderson's best film, but it is the culmination after years of creating such extraordinarily simple characters with rich, fulfilling backgrounds. Trailer
 |
| Bane in The Dark Knight Rises |
The Dark Knight Rises Will Be Nominated for Best Picture: Yes, I said it. Maybe it will get the nod just because The Dark Knight got screwed four years ago, but I think we will see it get the nod because it is a damn good movie. I understand that there are many problems with it, some that fans have argued over since its release date, the ending, "Robin", etc; but for each and everyone of its issues, two good aspects appear. This is a heart felt thriller that borders on greatness. Not a perfect as The Dark Knight but equally as evenly shaped, giving us a very cold, in depth look into the heart of Bruce Wayne. And for those who had a problem with Bane's voice, I can say, that I was a major fan. The voice was equal parts hilarious and terrifying. It was the kind of voice that you laughed at before you realized that he could squeeze the life out of you. The only issue that Rises is plagued with, in terms of the nomination, is the terrible tragedy in Aurora. The Academy may not want to celebrate something connected with such a terrible event, but I am confident that they will look passed the shooting to honor a great film. Trailer
Lincoln Will be Nominated but Lose for Best Picture: I have been looking forward to Lincoln since 2005, when I first heard about it. Originally the role was supposed to go to Liam Neeson, but he dropped out only for Lewis to eagerly jump in. This lived up to my very high expectations with Oscar worthy performances by Day-Lewis, Field, and Tommy Lee Jones, but as per usual the movie suffered from be Spielberg-ed. I love many of Steven Spielberg's movies and I even like how he paints every movie through the eyes of a child in some way, shape, or form. The actor who plays Tad was excellent in this film. But the issue with so many of his films is that he ruins the end. And without giving away anything of the film, the end ruined this film's chances of winning Best Picture. Lincoln-Unite Trailer
Les Miserables Will Win Best Picture: And I haven't even seen it. But I am positive that it will win. Based on all the information I have read and seen about this project I feel safe in making this the odds on favorite to win Best Picture. It has one a the greatest working directors, The King's Speech's Tom Hooper, and he has allowed on set singing which has enlivened the work. Mark my words. LES MISERABLES WILL WIN BEST PICTURE!
No comments:
Post a Comment