MOB - Christmas Predictions

By my count here, Inglourious Basterds leads with 9 nominations.

Best Picture:
Avatar
(500) Days of Summer
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Alternates here would be Nine, but with it's overwhelmingly negative response I think something more respected like (500) Days of Summer will bypass it as the virtual tenth spot.

As for the win, it's one of the most exciting races. The winner basically comes down to what the five nominees would have been: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, and Up in the Air. Hurt Locker and Up in the Air have been getting the lion's share of the critics awards before we get into the actual Hollywood precursors, which I would see as generally a bad sign with any open Best Picture race. I think the heat for both of these movies could easily sizzle out by the time Oscar voting rolls around (later this year than normal as of recent) and though both have been getting the critics awards, none of them are being touted as definite wins (a la Slumdog or No Country).

I actually think the single movie gaining the most buzz as of late is Inglourious Basterds, slowly building its buzz throughout the critics rewards thus far (it's the most winningest movie overall of all the contenders as of now). It would solve the Academy's problem of rewarding a mainstream movie, but it would also be appreicated by critics more than something mainstream like Avatar. Avatar is getting some extraordinary notice as of late, but it's not quite being well received for its storyline which could hurt it. I also think its computerized novelty prevents it from many possible nominations (acting, cinematography, costume design, etc.) that Inglourious Basterds could take and make it the most nominated movie of the year.

A lot of it could depend on the guilds. I do think Precious will win the SAG (screen actors guild) ensemble award, but Inglourious has a very good shot at it. Those two are tied for the most nominated (3) of the SAGs while being nominated for Ensemble (as opposed to Up in the Air, which could prove a deadly blow). Both movies are assured one major category each (Supporting Actor for Inglourious and Supporting Actress for Precious). Aside from Ensemble, Basterds' only other chance at a SAG win is in Supporting Actress which we've already established is off limits (Mo'Nique is unmovable). Whereas Precious' other win could come in Lead Actress with Sidibe. Streep won her first movie SAG just last year, whereas the only other contender with an Ensemble nomination to her film is Carey Mulligan — though a shocking Molina snub may suggest less passion for An Education than something like Precious.

As for the other guilds, Katheryn Bigelow will still win her DGA (Directors Guild Award) for The Hurt Locker, ultimately following in a similar vein of Picture/Director splits where the epic movie takes Director while the more light hearted and mainstream fare takes Picture. This could apply to Avatar, Inglourious Basterds or Up in the Air. I do think Up in the Air seems like more PGA fare, but if Inglourious Basterds manages to take it with the help of an urgency to reward veteran producer Lawrence Bender, and also takes the SAG, that will give it an obvious edge in terms of major Hollywood Guild awards that ultimately vote for the Academy Awards (in addition to its likely WGA [writer's guild award] for Original Screenplay, in addition to Up in the Air in adapted).

It doesn't always quite work, though, like in the close Best Picture race of 2006. Little Miss Sunshine took the WGA, PGA, and SAG award while the eventual winner, The Departed, had its DGA and WGA. Its deciding factor could have been Scorsese's director lock, just as The Hurt Locker will not be ignored for its masterful direction by a female (the chances this year to give it to Bigelow are just too good). But, in any case, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

In close races such as this one, the actual race for the nominees seem rather boring. These five, also the SAG nominees, seem pretty locked in. Veteran Jeff Bridges could take it by virtue of being well overdue, already with several nominations over close to 40 years in the business. Worked with many, and veterans could be unstoppable unless faced against a sweeper (the reason Peter O'Toole lost to Forest Whitaker and Hal Holbrooke lost to Javier Bardem). There don't seem to be sweepers here, though George Clooney seems to (bafflingly, in my mind) be taking the lion's share of critics awards. Then again, he took many for Michael Clayton as well and the Academy just gave it to this relatively young superstar only a few years ago. But without a SAG ensemble nod with this movie, I don't think Up in the Air has nearly as much Hollywood support as the precursors are making it seem. Especially among actors. For this, I think Adapted Screenplay will be its only reward.

Colin Firth, in my opinion the best performance here and one of the best of the decade, is getting some smaller awards. He seems to be in third place, strong contender for the BAFTA (British members of the Academy sometimes being the deciding factor in close races). If Bridges and Clooney split, it's conceivable that Firth can take it. The whole "fizzling out" theory could also help him, where the buzz for the likes of Bridges and (especially) Clooney could be too soon. I'm predicting several noms including a Picture mention (perhaps wishful thinking) for the sauve A Single Man, but unless with some strong support (a Tom Ford nomination or a Julianne Moore one) I don't know if the film itself has enough love to give Firth a win. The nomination could be his reward.

Freeman has plenty of love in Hollywood and the Academy, as evidenced by his very few precursors before winning Supporting for Million Dollar Baby. Here is an undeniable veteran in a role seemingly tailor-suited for him to win a Lead Oscar. Many see the fact that he doesn't have a Lead Oscar as being enough of a mistake. Clint Eastwood is good at bringing his actors some statues (Penn, Robbins, Swank, Freeman). He could also benefit from a Bridges/Clooney split, or could be considered more of a "veteran" than Bridges and more of a beloved Hollywood figure than Clooney. However, Invictus has made underwhelming box office so far and the film itself isn't looking like it'll do too swell in terms of the general Oscar race. Could be the Frank Langella of the year.

Which brings us to Jeremy Renner. Commanding presence, but subtle performance. Subtle, younger, rather unknown actor in Hollywood. Does not usually translate into Oscar success. Probably only in here based upon the love for his film. But if the film stays hot throughout the season, becoming a virtual sweeper in the actual Oscars, then he could become an Adrien Brody of this year. Up against four, better known (some veteran) actors in the business. Could benefit from vote splitting and vote siphoning.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

As we wear on, this category used to be as exciting as the actor category. As opposed to the precursors there, however, it seems like this has already established a winner. Meryl Streep, unrewarded for 27 years in what would have itself made a fantastic and worthy career, goes against an unknown little british girl, a fat young black NSYNC fan, a woman who took every possible award known to man three years ago, and Sandra Bullock. It's a biopic of a beloved international figure, and Streep already has a supposedly great comedic performance in a Nancy Meyers flick under her belt this year.

I guess we could have figured this one out, in hindsight, but that was back when we didn't think Julie & Julia was exactly a critics charmer. She could have easily gotten several Hollywood awards, but it also seems like she's in the lead with critics trying to influence the Oscar race as well. Carey Mulligan could have major Brit support as people there seem to be gaga for An Education, and I already mentioned how Precious steam could rebuild especially with a possible SAG for Sidibe. Sandra Bullock could also take that SAG, however, in a film much more mainstream and with much more box office than any other movie here to gloat. I think Mirren's the most vulnerable one here in an underseen film, but with her scenery chewing and leftover good will from The Queen, I don't think Emily Blunt will do much vote siphoning from her.

Unless something goes terribly wrong for this woman, who just recently finally admitted that it could be NICE to win another Oscar instead of going to these things every year to disappointment, no one's taking Meryl's Oscar away.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Alfred Molina - An Education
Stanley Tucci - Julie & Julia
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

The more obvious the win, the more interesting the race to the nominations are. By the time the nominations are announced, the contest in this category is caput. Christoph Waltz's commanding presence as a Nazi who's as utterly evil as he is completely charming and likable will not be overtaken. He has his Cannes, he has his sweep of the critics awards, he will get his SAG, his Golden Globe and his BAFTA. End of story.

Damon, in a very well respected performance in The Informant! should get a body of work nom for this film much more likely for Oscar success (unless there's a major Tommy Lee Jones-esque shocker), also being beloved in Hollywood and not nominated since 1998 (when he won for his writing skills, imagine that). Woody Harrelson also had a good year with Zombieland and 2012, in a film and performance with near unanimous critical praise and not nominated in even longer than Matt Damon. Alfred Molina's got some pretty painful snubs so far with the Globes and SAG, but I think the British vote could still secure him a nomination here over Plummer, whom I don't think is seen as very overdue in the Academy since he doesn't even have a single nomination to his name and is in a very underseen film. If Tucci doesn't get in at all for The Lovely Bones (which was a perfectly lovely fail of a film), then he'll get in for box office hit Julie & Julia.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mélanie Laurent - Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique - Precious
Samantha Morton - The Messenger

Pretty self-explanatory, here. Mo'Nique's going to win, whether anyone (including herself) likes it or not. Farmiga and Kendrick are pretty safe. The rest between the Laurent, Morton (both mentioned here), Cotillard, Cruz, Moore, Gyllenhaal, are pretty much in a crapshoot. Harvey Weinstein recently switched Laurent's campaign from Lead to Supporting when it became clear from the SAG's recognition of Diane Kruger that Laurent would have been recognized had she been placed there. This could cause some splits and confusion, but if people can vote for her in Supporting I think they will (over Kruger, anyways). Morton does not have much precursor support but she never has whenever she's gotten all two of her nominations, and this is a very well received film that will be seen thanks to Woody Harrelson. I think Moore's snub at the SAG was a virtual kiss of death, I think there might not be enough Nine support to carry Cruz and too much category confusion with Cotillard (whose Weinstein-endorsed lead campaign stays in place). Gyllenhaal just recently got placed Supporting as the Lead category tightened up, and I could see her as a potential surprise. Her film, however, is getting lackluster reviews and the campaign placement could very well be too late for this young, already overdue actress.

If there ever is going to be a surprise in the nominations it will be where there is a heavy frontrunner. Mo'Nique and Waltz, for example, are sweeping and will take the majoirty of the #1 votes on the Academy's weighted ballot. This means that the rest of the list could be anything. As I said, the possibility of Maggie Gyllenhaal cracking Supporting is not unheard of. If there's enough Hurt Locker passion, then someone like Anthony Mackie (as good as Jeremy Renner) could crack the Supporting list. Even someone with enough Hollywood power like Natalie Portman could make a Supporting list for Brothers, as divisive as the film may be.

Best Original Screenplay:
(500) Days of Summer
Inglorious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man
Up

These have been pretty safe for a while.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
An Education
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Precious
A Single Man
Up in the Air

This is completely hard to say, since as opposed to the Original race, the winner here is clearly apparent (Up in the Air). I think Precious has a pretty safe home, here, but anything beyond that could go to a lot of the basically disappointing Oscar contenders mostly based on material (Nine, Invictus) or go to more critically friendly summer fare (District 9). But what I got here is a combination of movies that I think will be well received and generally approved by writers.

Best Animated Film:
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Monsters vs. Aliens
Up

This race is essentially Up vs. Fantastic Mr. Fox. If Up gets its predicted Best Picture slot, the race is over. If Fantastic Mr. Fox also manages one, in addition to Adapted Screenplay (while Up is expected in Original Screenplay), then we'll have a horse race on our hands. Other than that, I think you can never underestimate the power of big business (hence the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Monsters vs. Aliens). I think Coraline's meticulous craft will be honored, as well.

Best Cinematography:
Bright Star
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
A Serious Man
A Single Man

Veterans at the helm of Inglourious Basterds and A Serious Man, baity camera work in Bright Star and The Hurt Locker, and I think we got four guarantees. A Single Man is a rather random guess, but I do think it will be one of the smaller contenders of the sort.

Best Editing:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Basically what the five Best Picture contenders would have looked like. No film has been able to win Best Picture without a nomination here (what many foresaw as the kiss of death for Brokeback Mountain) since 1981. But the editing in all of these movies are rather flashy to begin with (big budget success, two war movies including a summer sensation, and you're just going to have to see the last two to know what I'm talking about). Expect the more serious war flick to win, here.

Best Costume Design:
Bright Star
Inglorious Basterds
Nine
A Serious Man
The Young Victoria

Mostly period pieces, token musical, and then one for what seems to be a growing trend in more recent time periods (most specifically the 70s, and even more specifically in A Serious Man).

Best Art Direction:
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Inglorious Basterds
Nine
A Single Man

Harry Potter's always a good bet in this category this decade, with beautiful sets in Avatar, a tragically overdue veteran in Inglourious Basterds, another flashy musical and the suave Tom Ford sensibilities evident in A Single Man.

Best Visual Effects:
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Out of the visual effect shortlist, I think these three films all commercially successful and praised in both story and visual effects should be able to make it in.

Best Makeup:
District 9
The Road
Star Trek

Avatar didn't use much makeup, so I'm thinking they'll honor the artists who made Viggo Mortenson look really dirty.

Best Original Score:
Avatar
The Informant!
The Princess and the Frog
A Single Man
Up

A wide variety of sounds, some proven (the Disney duo and epic James Horner collaboration with James Cameron) and others that could be more "different" (...the rest).

Best Original Song:
"The Weary Kind" - Crazy Heart
"Cinema Italiano" - Nine
"I Can See In Color" - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
"Almost There" - The Princess and the Frog
"All is Love" - Where the Wild Things Are

I'm just putting "Weary Heart" here since so far the precursors who seem to like Bridges also seem to like this song. But it seems kind of similar to "The Wrestler" last year where it didn't even make the quality cut from the music branch. They love their 2D Disney, urban sensations, and original songs for prior musicals. The Karen O. mention could very well be wishful thinking, but it seems up their alley.

Best Sound Mixing:
Avatar
District 9
Nine
Star Trek
Up

I usually keep Pixar as a token bet in the sound categories, while the others are usually more commercially successful flicks.

Best Sound Editing:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Up

Again, token Pixar. Token commercial sensation. Token war flick. Avatar should sweep most of the techs it can but I think The Hurt Locker will also find a reward here.

Best Foreign Language Film:
I Killed My Mother - Canada
Mother - Korea
Un Prophete - France
Samson & Delilah - Australia
The White Ribbon - Germany

Total guesses.

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Best movie posters of the decade

Inspired by the auteurs.

In alphabetical order, more or less.





















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District 9

From the intriguingly creative ad campaign to the full theater-going experience, this film builds high expectations and blows them out of the water - succeeding in aces across the board in the art of film making. Neill Blomkamp has created a piece that is sure to satiate one's thirst for witnessing as much destruction as possible through heavy action - the last third of the film acts essentially as an extended scene of war - but at the same time accomplishes the absurdly difficult task of imbuing the characters and the storyline with the same amount of heart.

The film most certainly has its shortcomings, and they are worth noting. Stylistically, it's hardly consistent - it opens as a tale told only through faux-archival footage, fit with documentary style interviews and everything - then somehow meanders its way out of this format into a rather normal film narrative shot Cloverfield-style through hand held cameras. Eventually it starts to look like an average Summer action movie, with aliens, before it turns into the opening of Saving Private Ryan. Cut back to the interviews as if you've just abruptly changed the channel from ActionMax to the History Channel. Mind you, up until this point, the transitions have been fairly smooth. But at one point I couldn't help but think that the film just could not make up its mind as to what it wanted to be, aesthetically. It also stuck in my mind how the film convinced me that this general "feel" of movies has so much potential that this film will certainly help to open up, but not completely reach.

But that was before Blomkamp hit us with the film's true emotional punch.

Blomkamp and co-writer Terri Tatchell surely faced a significant dilemma going about this ambitious task of a film: How can you make an audience sympathize, as powerfully as possible, with a completely fictitious species that isn't even meant to be native to this very planet? The results were astounding, to say the least. They made the film virtually a study in sociology - illustrating their situation on Earth to be as reminiscent as possible to grittily realistic scenarios of select groups of people in major urban areas all over the world. They emphasized this parallel at the start of the film and developed it masterfully through the climax as we meet Christopher (or something?), the sort of "head Alien" in charge, and not only find his wit and courage admirable but find him easy to root for after witnessing heart wrenching examples of his paternal instincts. The very fact that I'm describing a non-Earthly-language-speaking and rather hideous looking alien in such a fashion is a testament to the development of character Blomkamp and Tatchell were able to achieve with so little to work with.

Brilliant enough as it is conceptually, the way in which Blomkamp executes it is truly where the mind begins to blow. The blood races and heart falls with one look in the aliens' eyes - their sheer pain and horror and fear soar off the screen and pierce through your soul, compelling every ounce of your being to forever keep your loyalty to them. It's that symbiotic relationship between the surface level visual effects and the psychological thematic undercurrents that shows the true-blue mark of impressive craftsmanship. Your eyes surely ejaculate to the visual feast you see before you, but Blomkamp keeps the visual mastery almost as a background note only revealed in the most of its full-fledged glory to serve the story with such restraint that you'd be hard-pressed to have found this whole Summer. This keeps the film so disturbingly naturalistic that the subtlety of the visual effects, which alone is surely among the best I've ever seen in a film like it, hits your senses so unsubtly like a bulldozer when the film exerts the fullest of its visual strength.

Throw in how painstakingly Blomkamp paces this piece, and just how satisfying he makes many of the death scenes (among the most creative you'll ever see), and all previous flaws I found myself meditating upon are easily forgiven. Anything else that may not be up to par, like the amateurish acting, is not even worth mentioning considering how much the film compensates in virtually every other area. Blomkamp sure knows what he is doing. Read more!

MOB: SAG noms

So I lied, SAG nominations were actually announced this morning and not yesterday as my previous post suggested. I didn't do so swell on my predictions...

So, Up in the Air missed out on an Ensemble nomination. Considering this got three acting nominations, I think this is a significant blow to the movie that was considered the frontrunner to win Best Picture after its NBR win. Recently, the SAG have been showing Best Ensemble to be akin to its Best Picture category, giving movies like No Country for Old Men and Slumdog Millionaire the wins most likely just because they liked the movies themselves the best. With three acting noms for Clooney, Kendrick and Farmiga, it seems like the actors love the actors but probably don't love the movie itself. And actors make up the largest branch of the entire Academy. Not a single movie has won Best Picture without a nomination here (Bravehart). It'll definitely be nominated, but doesn't seem like it can win.

The nominations themselves were An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Nine, and Precious. Very good news for Inglourious Basterds, good for Precious which I'd say is in the lead to win with a possible sweep. Actor was pretty predictable — Bridges, Clooney, Firth, Freeman, Renner. Probably the Oscar five. Win here is very uncertain but I do think most overdue veteran of all Jeff Bridges will take it for Crazy Heart.
Actress was also predictable and predicted — Bullock, Mirren, Mulligan, Sidibe, Streep. Streep seems to be the frontrunner here, but she just won last year. Bullock has a shot being loved in the community, and Mulligan's film was surprisingly included in the Ensemble list, but I think this will go to Sidibe. Mostly based on the love for the film itself (An Education got Ensemble but missed out on veteran Molina for Supporting Actor, and obviously The Blind Side ain't going anywhere).
Supporting Actor matched the Globes with Damon, Harrelson, Plummer, Tucci, Waltz. Molina's snub here really hurts, and I think shows a telling lesser passion for the movie that might allow Mulligan to have a win here. Waltz will obviously win.
And then Supporting Actress went to Cruz, Farmiga, Kendrick, Mo'Nique, and the inspired shock choice of Diane Kruger for Inglourious Basterds. This shows an enthusiasm for the film that shows a) that Mélanie Laurent probably would have been nominated had she been campaigned here, which could help her chances in this very category come Oscar time and b) that the film could launch itself to a very deserved Ensemble win. I'm still sticking with Precious, though.

So, more or less, what does this tell us. In my opinion, I think it means that Up in the Air simply will not win. Reitman's screenplay will be this film's reward. Otherwise, not much. The Actor and Actress slots might be locked in, and this could prove a deciding factor in who will win the Oscar there (it seems like we already know in the Supporting categories). But, even though the actors make up the largest branch in the Academy (and all of the actors are obviously in the Screen Actor's Guild), the Academy-voting members themselves make up the smallest proportion to their guild than any other guild.

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MOB: SAG Nominations tomorrow

I'd love to get to some more reviews, but this week simply has too much MOB. It's almost over, promise!

SAG nominations come out tomorrow which are much more valuable indications of acting awards than the Golden Globes, but they are the least dependable out of all the guilds. This is because, out of all the major guilds (PGA, DGA, WGA, SAG), they have the least percentage of Academy members. The Producers Guild of America, Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America work largely in film and television. The Screen Actor's Guild can include actors of all walks of life. Stage actors, extras, TV extras, stage extras, etc. So usually these don't correspond with the actual nominations 100%, but it is what it is. If you miss out here, it could be the kiss of death.

Ensemble:
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
Precious
Up in the Air

Alt: Star Trek

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Alt: Matt Damon - The Informant!

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Alt: Abbie Cornish - Bright Star

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Alfred Molina - An Education
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci -The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz -Inglourious Basterds

Alt: Matt Damon - Invictus

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo'Nique - Precious
Julianne Moore - A Single Man
Samantha Morton - The Messenger

Alt: Penélope Cruz - Nine
Read more!

MOB - Golden Globe nominations

http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2010/globes

Predictions tally?

Drama - 5/6 (I guess this was kind of cheating seeing as they only had five nominations)
Comedy/Muscial - 4/5
Actor Drama - Fail, 3/5
Actress Drama - 4/5
Actor C/M - 4/5
Actress C/M - 4/5
Supporting Actor - 2.5/5, ugh (predicted Tucci for J&J, not TLB)
Supporting Actress - 4/5
Director - 4/5
Screenplay - 2/5 (ouch, kicking myself over Hurt Locker and It's Complicated. I was so close to including them)
Song - 3/5 (what do I look like)
Score - 2/5
Foreign Language - 3/5 (The Maid and Broken Embraces should have been obvious but noooo)

Meh, could have done a lot worse.
Notes:
FUCK YES JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT AND MICHAEL STUHLBARG!!! Two of my favorite performances of the year. Not really expecting either of them, good thing I got JGL. How did Stuhlbarg get in but not A Serious Man?
They kept it to five nominees each this year, interesting.
Eastwood but no Invictus?
Maguire but no Portman?
Bullock and Damon - double nominees. Of course. Not to mention Streep.
They love them some Tarantino.
Would have NEVER guessed Roberts.

And...not much else. Pretty tame. Read more!

MOB - Golden Globes Predictions

Me: soo will I be really pathetic for getting up early just to watch the golden globe nominations be announced? because I think I might
Tommy: no that's fun!

...success.

Golden Globe Predictions.
These silly things are always tough to figure out. Who is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, anyways? And why do they matter? Fact of the matter is...they really don't.

They're influence initially spanned from being one of actually just a few award bodies handing out honors to films of the year. Now they are just one of many, so at this stage they are nothing more than a pyramid from which to worship the highest and most successful of Hollywood stars. And that is the single most important factor I take into account when calculating predictions for such things.

Does it matter in the long run? Probably not. But it could mean a lot in terms of spear heading buzz for a particular film or performance at just the right time (see: Marion Cotillard).

Best Picture - Drama

One silly thing they do is split the films into two categoires - Drama and Comedy/Musical. So, basically, "serious" films and the all the others. Though the placements a lot of times are rather questionable (Up in the Air in Drama? Walk the Line in Comedy/Musical?). But here we are, with this bitch of a category.

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Invictus
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up in the Air

How did I come upon this final list? Well, apparently they want apeshit for Avatar during early screenings just for them. They're obsessed with Quentin Tarantino, a lot more than the Academy, so for his best shot at Oscar fame since Pulp Fiction in his single most financially successful (really important) film and best critically reviewed (pretty important) since the start of his career, an Inglorious nomination here is, as Dave Karger says, a "foregone conclusion." They seem to really enjoy Precious and Up in the Air as major Oscar frontrunners, with heavy respect for the well campaigned to them Hurt Locker. Also, they're one of many suckers for Clint Eastwood. By virtue of its Eastwoodian nature, Invictus should make it.

Normally there should only be five slots for this category, but there is so much here to offer from and ties are not uncommon — stretching the category to six and sometimes even seven nominees. But that still leaves out films which are right up their alley with international flair, like An Education and Bright Star. If any of these get in with such tight space, it would be at the cost of a shocking omission like Precious, which the Globes seem to LIKE but are not obsessed with.

Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
(500) Days of Summer
Julie & Julia
It's Complicated
Nine
A Serious Man

I'll stick with five here, at the price of some seemingly obvious choices (like The Hangover), but here's my list nevertheless. (500) Days of Summer made respectable box office numbers with a lightweight tone and beautiful young Hollywood starlets. Kind of reminds me of Vicky Christina Barcelona, which actually won this category last year at the Globes. Between the two Meryl movies, Julie & Julia is the more buzzed film and performance, but with HFPA screening Complicated tonight, it might stay fresh in their minds as a hip and potentially commercial flick with more Hollywood starpower.The HFPA always seems to go for the big budgeted musical (Chicago, Sweeney Todd, etc.), to which Nine seems right up their alley and on track to get the most nominations. The film, however, is wildly divisive and though I think they'll nominate it this year, it won't be with much passion or enthusiasm. And A Serious Man has the Coen name which the Globes show respect for, and is one of the best reviewed films of the year.

Best Actor (Drama):

More than the other categories, their obsession with star power and attracting ratings to their yearly telecast helps the most in predicting their recognition of the year's acting.

Brad Pitt - Inglorious Basterds
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Johnny Depp - Public Enemies
Colin Firth - A Single Man
George Clooney - Up in the Air

Gaga for Tarantino, gaga for Pitt, they should manage to commit horrendous category fraud here and put Pitt into their lineup. If they like Invictus at all, Freeman will be nominated, as he seems to be the heart and soul of the movie. They love Depp, and Public Enemies was a successful summer flick in spite of critical backlash. A Single Man has an international appeal in its stylish appearance in the vein of Wong Kar Wai, and enough critical praise for Firth here to put him in a strong running for the win here and at the Oscars. And just the other day did we see the HFPA palling around and having a drink or two with their great friend — George Clooney.

Best Actor - Comedy/Musical

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - (500) Days of Summer
Robert De Niro - Everybody's Fine
Matt Damon - The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Robert Downey, Jr. - Sherlock Holmes

Much thinner crop here, perhaps, but it is what it is. Gordon-Levitt giving one of my favorite performances of the year might account for some prejudice here, but my actual winner right now in the category, Michael Stuhlberg, does not see a deserved nomination here for A Serious Man. Again, starpower starpower starpower. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's respect in the indie circuit as it stands, his boyish good looks and absolute electric energy in Days commands respect, and the Globes love young up and comers as much as established Hollywood heavy hitters — like Robert De Niro. Just saying. Matt Damon has the baitiest role in this category, arguably, for which he put on about 40 pounds, and would be the frontrunner to win here. Daniel Day-Lewis should prove to be a lock just by riding the Nine bandwagon (that might or might not exist) while Robert Downey, Jr. is strong in the reboot of his career and dependable pull at the box office.

Best Actress (Drama):
Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria

For the sake of time, no more explanations. Young starlets, heavy performances, and Helen Mirren (Golden Globes are OBSESSED). End. Potential spoiler in Shohreh Aghdashloo and Sandra Bullock.

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical):
Zooey Deschannel - (500) Days of Summer
Meryl Streep - It's Complicated
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Marion Cotillard - Nine
Sandra Bullock - The Proposal

Obsessed with young starlets (Deschannel), obsessed with Meryl, might be obsessed with Nine, obsessed with Hollywood stars (Bullock).

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Peter Saarsgard - An Education
Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds
Matt Damon - Invictus
Stanley Tucci - Julie & Julia
Jude Law - Sherlock Holmes

I could be COMPLETELY off, here.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Natalie Portman - Brothers
Penélope Cruz - Nine
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Best Director:
James Cameron - Avatar
Quentin Tarantino - Inglorious Basterds
Clint Eastwood - Invictus
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

Best Screenplay:
An Education
Inglorious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up in the Air

Best Original Song:
"I See You" - Avatar
"Winter" - Brothers
"Cinema Italiano" - Nine
"I Can See in Color" - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
"Almost There" - The Princess and the Frog

Best Original Score:
Amelia
Avatar
Nine
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film:
Baaria
Lebanon
Un Prophète
Samson and Delilah
The White Ribbon

Best Animated Film:
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Read more!

MOB - New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Nothing new, here. Hurt Locker, Bigelow, Clooney, Streep, Mo'Nique, Waltz. Yawn. In the Loop was an interesting screenplay choice, though. Plenty of other critics societies from the Southeast and Indiana and other obscure corners of the United States will be releasing their awards, but don't put much stock in those. The big three for critics are LA, NY and NSFC (National Society of Film Critics). LA and NY both went to The Hurt Locker, let's see if NFSC will follow suit and give it an official sweep.

This site is great for keeping track of all those smaller awards as well as the bigger awards. And it's always fun to follow the eventual progression of the leading contenders per awards season and who eventually is "technically" the most honored. Like, this year, Inglourious Basterds is so far more rewarded than Precious. Hm.

Speaking of, the Broadcast Film Critics, who for some inexplicable reason air their awards on television, released their nominations today. Usually these amount to nothing more than Oscar predictions, but they could prove to be a major help to Inglourious Basterds and Nine who tied for the most nominations from them, with ten each. Especially for Nine, which has a tanking rottentomatoes rating of 36% so far. If it doesn't do well with the Globes tomorrow, then I'd say it's basically out of the running. Here is how the rest of the BFCA nominations went down.

Tomorrow: Golden Globe nominations. Yummy. Predictions later today. Read more!

MOB - critics awards!

Some important precursors happened today. Boston, New York Film Critics Online and, most importantly, Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The results were pretty solitary, for the most part. The Hurt Locker nabs Best Picture at Boston and LA, with Katheryn Bigelow winning all three for Director (including narrowly beating out her husband for Avatar in NYFCO, which nabbed the top prize there). Best Actor split between Jeremy Renner in Boston and Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart in the other two. Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz went three for three in the supporting characters, prepping themselves for a potential (and well deserved) sweep. Another year where we just can't resist our villains. Screenplay split three ways — A Serious Man in Boston, Inglorious Basterds in NYFCO, and Up in the Air in LA.

And, weird note in the Actress race. Meryl Streep picked up two Critics prizes (Boston and NYFCO) for Julie & Julia, which wasn't expected to get much until the actual Hollywood awards. The other actress from LA went to renowned French film actress Yolande Moreau for Séraphine. Weird developments, there. Here's how the films are stocking up in terms of wins so far in this season's awards.


Best Picture
Up in the Air (NBR)
Up in the Air (DC critics)
The Hurt Locker (BSFC)
The Hurt Locker (LAFCA)
Avatar (NYFCO)

Best Actor
George Clooney (NBR)
Morgan Freeman (NBR)
George Clooney (DC critics)
Jeremy Renner (BSFC)
Jeff Bridges (NFCO)
Jeff Bridges (LAFCA)

Best Actress
Carey Mulligan (NBR)
Carey Mulligan (DC Critics)
Meryl Streep (BSFC)
Meryl Streep (NYFCO)
Yolande Moreau, “Séraphine (LAFCA)

Best Supporting Actor
Woody Harrelson (NBR)
Christoph Waltz (DC Critics)
Christoph Waltz (BSFC)
Christoph Waltz (NYFCO
Christoph Waltz (LAFCA)

Best Supporting Actress
Anna Kendrick (NBR)
Mo’Nique (DC Critics)
Mo’Nique (BSFC)
Mo’Nique (LAFCA)
Mo’Nique (NYFCO)

Best Director
Clint Eastwood (NBR)
Kathryn Bigelow (DC Critics)
Kathryn Bigelow (BSFC)
Kathryn Bigelow (NYFCO)
Kathryn Bigelow (LAFCA)

Best Screenplay
A Serious Man (NBR)
A Serious Man (BSFC)
Inglourious Basterds (DC Critics)
Inglourious Basterds (NYFCO)
Up in the Air (NBR)
Up in the Air (LAFCA) Read more!

An Education

Saw this about a month ago. Here were my thoughts immediately after seeing it. My opinion has only gone down from here.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this movie. But I was at least hoping for a nice, atmospheric, cinematic experience. What I ended up with? Meh.

The movie started off way beyond my expectations and is a delicious display of the highest of all this movie's heights. Carey Mulligan immediately steals your heart, her performance running on the fuel of her "cute as a button" energy and likeability in her position of naïvete and vulnerability. Alfred Molina makes you giggle as soon as he thunders out a delivery of a single line and establishes an overpowering dynamic between he and Mulligan that I'm sure Scherfig simply could not have been more pleased with. Saarsgard's character comes along with the perfect charm that makes you believe he could have enticed anyone he wished into his car with full intentions of pulling a Polanski. Their first encounter in the rain was directed by Sherfig with sharp eloquence.

As the movie went on into her actual coming of age and the merging of her new life with David and her old life back home with her parents, the movie started to get a lot more inconsistent for me. The more over the top, expressive facial gestures, and vocal intonations from Molina and Rosamund Pike clashed with the subtleties of Mulligan's girlish giggle and Saarsgard's seductive grin. It was hard for me to decide who was better between Saarsgard and Molina because the (wonderful) performances are tackled so differently in the same context that it's difficult to compare, until seeing their first encounter where I decided that Saarsgard was a lot more convincing in convincing a father to take his daughter out for as late as he wants to than Molina was at being convinced by him. You know? Anyways, not important. The smooth grace of the opening was simply not maintained afterward and by the end nearly fell apart. The editing could have afforded to be more clearer, the cinematography more insistent, the direction more bold.

Mulligan's performance was fine but my enthusiasm for her in the beginning did not hold as she developed her character — it wasn't weak, but simply not as strong. Her persona and delicate presence was perfect to run on the opening on her performance on but she seemed to run out of fuel as she put her hair up. And by the time she had her dramatic and empowering confrontation with her teacher she was decidedly outshone by Olivia Williams' stern performance. In the end, she was only alright at showing her change into adulthood after her experiences were said and done. But, I think any discrepancies in any performance should probably be blamed on Scherfig's not asking enough of her actors, trusting them and depending too much upon them to carry out her film.

Now of course given the nature of this year's Actress selection, she still climbs into my lineup as a strong runner up to Sidibe and could very well stay there for all I know.

One of the brighter spots later in the movie was the montage of Jenny's first visit to Paris, whitewashed with the happiness of the characters and the perfection of their world at that moment. In theory. In terms of craft, however, it ultimately seemed nothing more than a demo for a video software showing you the coolest way to edit your recent vacation photos/home video. Elsewhere in the movie, the random shifts between handicam and steadicam were a bit jarring and out of place while the lower shutter speed/fast editing combo during the horse race was just...bizarre. And at some of the movie's most "dramatic" points, a boring score comes oafishly roaring through.

Ultimately, though...can't say I was a fan.
Read more!

Major Oscar Buzz - NBR

So one cool thing some blogs do is have reoccurring themes. This is one of them, named after mine and my roommate's describing of most good things in the world as having "major Oscar buzz." Although, for our purposes, the phrase will be more literal, and might eventually be referred to as the kickass abbreviation "MOB."

So...the 2010 Academy Awards, rewarding the films of a rather underwhelming 2009, will occur in...March 2010. So it's a bit early. But what's the state of it as it is?

Everything after the cut is my blathering on the National Board of Review, first (real) awards handed out in the season. Aside from NBR, all's quiet on this front. MOB will explode, however, after this week with LA Film Critics Awards Sunday, NY Film Critics on Monday, Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday and Screen Actor's Guild predictions on Wednesday. And, don't be mistaken, they are all extremely important to the upcoming flow and trends of the Oscar season. I will explain to all the noobs what exactly they are and why they're all important (of them the Golden Globes being the least important), with maybe some updates on some other stupid awards in between like the DC Film Critics Awards which happened yesterday. Here is a handy calendar of the season to get you caught up, as I will be rushing to get predictions for all the aforementioned ready this week.

The first real awards essentially kickstarting the season was brought to us by the National Board of Review (or NBR) on the 3rd. How legitimate is this group? Their legitimacy is based upon the fact that their awards are usually the first in the season and can be a valuable jumpstart on the campaigns of certain films to Oscar glory.



Major winner here was presumed frontrunner Up in the Air. Best Film, Best Actor - George Clooney (tied with Morgan Freeman for Invictus), Best Supporting Actress - Anna Kendrick and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The past two winners of the top prize, Slumdog Millionaire and No Country for Old Men, began their sweeps of their respective awards seasons here and went on to repeat success at the Academy Awards. Otherwise, though, the NBR's track record is not spectacular.

NBR Best Film vs. Oscar Best Picture, 2000 - 2006
2000: Quills vs. Gladiator
2001: Moulin Rouge! vs. A Beautiful Mind
2002: The Hours vs. Chicago
2003: Mystic River vs. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2004: Finding Neverland vs. Million Dollar Baby
2005: Good Night, and Good Luck vs. Crash
2006: Letters from Iwo Jima vs. The Departed

So, clearly doesn't mean much; however, every single one of those (with the exception of Quills) was nominated for Best Picture that year (so, everyone — Up in the Air is in), there seems to be somewhat of a trend lately with No Country and Slumdog nabbing the prizes, and the eventual winner usually manages to make the NBR list of the Top 10 (really, top 11 including the actual Best Film winner) Films of the year, which should be particularly helpful this year with the extended list of 10 Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards.

NBR's Top 11 this year went as follows:
UP IN THE AIR (the rest in alphabetical order)
AN EDUCATION
(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
INVICTUS
THE MESSENGER
A SERIOUS MAN
STAR TREK
UP
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

All caps and general referencing brought to you by National Board of Review.

In any case...see anything missing? Yes. Snubbed by this years list include awaited Peter Jackson adaptation The Lovely Bones, Nine, and, most shockingly, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (otherwise considered one of the frontrunners in this year's award season). But, though I did say that the eventual Best Picture winners do usually make this top 10, winners in the past who didn't include A Beautiful Mind and 11 time Academy Award winner (a.k.a. tied with only two others for the most in history) The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. NBR doesn't seem to like Peter Jackson very much.



Someone they do seem to have a lot of love and admiration for, however, is Clint Eastwood. As you can see, both Mystic River and Letters from Iwo Jima managed to nab the top prize this decade, while shocking the awards-following community last year by receiving an Actor prize for Gran Torino. And, his only top Oscar winning film, Million Dollar Baby, did crack it's top 10/11 for 2004. And, this year, they very predictably decided to give him his first Best Director award from them for Invictus, along with Morgan Freeman for Best Actor — again, tied with Clooney.
I bring that up to also mention their love affair with George Clooney. They gave his directed film, Good Night, and Good Luck the top prize in '05 and went on to give him Best Actor in 2007 for Michael Clayton over Daniel Day-Lewis' triumph in There Will Be Blood — lately popping up at the top of many lists as giving the single greatest performance of this decade. So, don't look too into any of these men's triumphs here as a lot of it was based on personal obsessions. But we can still break down the numbers, here.

70% of NBR's winners for Best Actor were nominated, and 40% won. One could safely nudge in both Clooney and Freeman into their nomination slots at this year's awards, but they may very well end up being overshadowed by more critical sensations Jeff Brides (Crazy Heart) and Colin Firth (A Single Man) with the later precursors this month.

And since I'm getting kind of tired of talking about NBR (in reality, they really don't merit this much consideration), I'll just glaze over the rest of the winners. Best Actress went to Carey Mulligan for An Education. Not a single winner of this prize has gone without Oscar nominations in the past ten years, but only three of them (Mirren's monstrous sweep and Roberts/Berry way back in the day) went on to win the prize. Not looking good for the win, but looking damn good for the nomination. I'll be the first to brag about predicting Woody Harrelson's "surprise" win for The Messenger in Supporting Actor — of which 90% go on to be nominated for but only 20% win. Will he beat Christoph Waltz's dark charm in Inglourious Basterds? Probably not, but especially in such a weak year for the category with his respect in Hollywood, success this year with Zombieland and 2012, and going without a nomination for well over a decade now, ON TOP OF THAT combined with the impeccable reviews for the film...expect it. Anna Kendrick beat Mo'Nique for Best Supporting Actress, but only half of the winners here manage to nab nominations and only Penélope Cruz last year managed to win both this and the Oscar since 1996. Mo'Nique can sleep comfortably for now.

Last few notes — Coens grabbed a very deserved Screenplay prize for A Serious Man (with a weak year, it should make it to the Oscars as well) and the single prize granted to Precious was for Gabourey Sidibe in Breakthrough Actress. In this category's short-lived history, Ellen Page and Viola Davis both went on to be nominated for an Oscar. Good news. For more on why Precious may have missed out, read Roger Friedman's theory on Geoffry Fletcher, writer of Precious and former member of the NBR, put on their black list (not for that reason!) for quitting the organization. Payback's a bitch, eh?
Read more!

Up in the Air

I won't lie; I've been confused for a while now on where the high anticipation for this film was coming from. I was confused when I realized the moment I had to preorder my ticket hours in advance to assure myself a seat that night. I was confused when I got there close to an hour early that the line to enter the theater for it went so far back into the recesses of the theater and spanned many different walls. The answer, probably, is that it is simply a great film.


Without dwelling too much on plot (I hate that), Up in the Air follows a man named Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who flies all over the country to fire people on behalf of companies for a living. He leads a solitary life of isolation, fast paced movement and anti-commitment. Perfect for when he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), who quickly becomes a very "special" friend of his. He is perfectly content with his life until Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick, of Twilight fame) comes along, a bright-eyed new employee straight out of Cornell, who convinces boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) to drastically cut down costs of airfare by firing people over webcam. Gregory orders Bingham to show Keener the ropes of their work after Bingham vocally airs his complaints about this new system, and both begin to teach each other about maturity, relationships, and the bases for the value of your life as it ages.

Initially, I was rather unimpressed by the acting. Clooney's done this a million times before and just had a lot more material to work with. Kendrick isn't nearly the revelation that Ellen Page was in Jason Reitman's previous Juno two years ago, who was able to deliver heavily "written" lines far more naturally than Kendrick. I was always a fan of Vera Farmiga, though, who always seems to have a knack for lifting underwritten and undeveloped roles to miraculous life. With this ability, she works wonders with this role.

But as the two more significant players in the film, I was only able to more appreciate Clooney and Kendrick in the larger context. Once the screenplay gets into the real nitty-gritty of its themes and lessons (we'll get to that), Clooney locks the audience in on this emotional journey — articulating the film's message with sophisticated skill. Anna Kendrick's performance was only as self-conscious as her character, by the end portraying a very delicate young girl stunted in growth by her constant strive for perfection with grace and sensitivity. Sure, Clooney's role in the beginning as an independent and largely apathetic professional bachelor fit him like a glove and it was hard to distinguish actor from performance. Sure, Kendrick's delivery was a bit mechanical in the beginning and her breaking down over her breakup, for example, seemed like a very forced attempt to show childlike naïvitae. But, by the end, both actors redeemed themselves in their performances and deserve every inch of praise they'll be sure to receive in the coming months.

And shout-out to the unsung heroes of the film, y'all! — the plethora of anonymous actors Reitman hired, only to get fired, played their parts with a devastating pregnancy of loss, horror, panic, shame, and confusion (all at once). The woman describing her plan to jump off a bridge when she gets home does it with such bone chilling confidence that you're not sure if she won't follow through with her threat. The 57 year old man who had the luck of being the first man fired by Natalie's new system has a cold emptiness in his eyes, and one can see the soul of his character come crashing down as he starts to sob. They articulate, at first, the cruelty of Ryan Bingham's job and how it informs his apathy in life towards human relationships and life, and, later on, the harshness of Natalie's new method and the coldness this new age of virtual interaction has led (highlighted by her boyfriend breaking up with her through a text message).

None of the actors, however, would be anything without that screenplay. Such a comprehensive examination of age, technology, interactions, family, loneliness, so maturely interwoven together and expressed in a way that does not underestimate the audience's intelligence nor risk going over its head. Of course a lot of this is accredited to the book it's based upon, but I'm sure none of it could come across so cinematically had it not been for the adaptation by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

And then, of course, is the gift of the slightest touch by Reitman's direction that seems to speak volumes in his films. It was a bit flashier in the beginning — the editing at just as rapid fire a pace as Bingham's life, but soon he seemed to let his grasp loose and let the interaction between the actors speak for itself (which worked better at some times than others). His establishing of the deep space and wide open shots in the airport scenes gave the spectator a familiar sense of alienation and isolation from the world similar to Bingham's.

And by the time it gets to Bingham going to northern Wisconsin for his sister (Melanie Lynskey)'s wedding, the trademarks of young Reitman start to show. He seems to have this gift of making snow in the sunlight really personal and cozy, and kind of like you're seeing in to some more intimate world of his characters. The tone of the film at this point is a stark difference from before, and can be a bit jarring. Elliott Smith music starts playing in the background during montages of seemingly candid activities between friends and families. The print is a lot more digitized and Reitman screams to attention how "handheld" the camera is, making it look like some weird cross between I Heart Huckabees and an episode of The Office. It has that growingly-cliché "indie" feel to the movie, I guess going back to Reitman's directorial roots. Normally, this abrupt contrast would be a fault of the director; but Bingham is having just as much difficulty adjusting to it as the audience is. And by the time I, personally, was able to let go of the drastic stylistic shift, I became just as immersed in the world of his family as Bingham was (here is where the credit to Clooney for taking us on his emotional journey really kicks in), and I really rooted for him to be allowed to be as involved with his family now than he allowed himself to be in the past.

The film ends on a note that's bleak, but hopeful. It's happy, it's heartbreaking, it's more or less the way life went before and how it will continue. But it allows the viewer to observe it with a fresher insight and more informed perspective on the inner workings of all the implications involved. And, in getting across what should be the most important things in life, helps keep the viewer just a little more grounded.
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An introduction

Hey y'all. Since there's no single place to fit all my rambling nonsense on films, I figure I should set aside a nice safe place for myself to include all the insight on my mind. Instead of anonymously throwing thoughts on the absurdity of internet message boards or subjecting my friends on facebook or livejournal to the madness and embarrassingly obsessive thoughts I have on film.

So, why should you bother? Well, I'm a pretty cool cat. I'm just learning about the basics of film theory at NYU Tisch School of the Arts for Cinema Studies, which you can think of as learning about film more through example than practice (you can get in the fabulous Film & Television department). Hopefully I don't get kicked out anytime soon, since I get the perks of all the early releases of films being in the city and an occasional free screening or two. I'm not sure quite yet what I would want to do with this education, but I figure it'd give me enough background to pursue the actual filmmaking process if I so pleased or just some vocation that has to do with spewing my silly thoughts on film like I will do with this blog.

So this will have the usual. Film reviews, and of a much more conversational tone than more formal critiquing involves. I'll also be more inclined to dwell on the positives rather than the negative since I'm much more passionate when I write about what I love about a movie than what doesn't work for me, unless I'm just really aggravated at the unqualified praise it may receive. And award predictions. And what a perfect time of year for that! And, I mean REALLY involved predictions. Not just for the Oscars. There will be critics awards and other superfluous film organization honors that will occur before the Oscars.
And, dudes, seriously: the Academy Awards are my equivalent to the Superbowl.

So, I'll get this going pretty soon. My first upcoming posts should concern the film Up in the Air I saw tonight (hint: I liked it!), as well as some thoughts on the current status of the awards season post-NBR (National Board of Review — it'll all be explained) and pre-Golden Globes. So, yeah. I might even throw in a few earlier thoughts of movies like An Education, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and District 9, just for the sake of relevance to this current awards season.
Eventually I'll get to very personal lists of the best movies of the year and some own personal awards of my own I feel entitled to give out. And so far, this is a pretty damn good year.

So, till then.

Jai Ho,
Ibad.

PS - don't be too concerned if I stray from purely cinematic topics from time to time. My interests encompass many fields. Read more!