The ballad of John and Yoko

For days now, this song keeps going in my mind, so I decided to mention it in this blog. I'm fascinated by it. I think it's the way John Lennon shouts Christ when entering the chorus that really gets me. Because he shouts it the same way one would shout when looses his patience but at the same time it really fits the melody. And also the way he makes it sound poetic so common bits of life that he described in this such straightforward autobiographical portrait. Enjoy.

Sophie's Choice

Yesterday, I saw another classic: Sophie's Choice. A film by Alan J. Pakula with Meryl Streep whose performance ranked #3 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).
The film is good. Not great. For me it looks too much of a stage play. The acting is definitely the best thing in the movie. Kevin Kline in one of his first roles is really good, although sometimes falls on the overacting error in my opinion. But the reason why I'm mentioning this movie here is very simply because of Meryl Streep's performance. I think it's probably the best performance I've seen in a film ever. Besides speaking two or three languages fluently in the film, the emotional range she shows to be capable is probably unique. And in the most dramatic scene of the movie (where the title comes from) is one of the most moving scenes ever.
Though the film does not make the list, I definitely recommed people to watch it just to see a master at work.

60% accuracy

Let's see how did I do:

Best Picture

My bet: Avatar
Reality: The Hurt Locker

Best Director

My bet: Kathryn Bigelow
Reality: Kathryn Bigelow

Best Actor

My bet: Jeff Bridges
Reality: Jeff Bridges.

Best Actress

My bet: Sandra Bullock
Reality: Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor

My bet: Christoph Waltz
Reality: Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress

My bet: Mo'Nique
Reality: Mo'nique

Best Original Screenplay

My bet: Inglorious Basterds
Reality: The hurt locker

Best Adapted Screenplay

My bet: Up in the Air
Reality: Precious

Best Animated Feature

My bet: Up
Reality: Up

Best Foreign Language Film

My bet: The White Ribbon
Reality: The secret in your eyes

So, I got 6 out of 10. A 60% score is not very good.
At least is above chance.
Better luck next time.

oscar night

Oscar night is about to start. Here are a few predictions and personal favorites.

Best Picture

Nominees:

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

I've seen 6 out of 10, and of those 6, the one I definitely enjoyed more was Inglorious Basterds. However, I don't think the movie stands a chance. With the nem voting system, I guess The Hurt Locker has good chances. I definitily liked it more than I liked Avatar. Avatar promises to save the industry. And it has a bit of a green message too. It's very easy to win. So, my favorite: Inglorious Basterds; My bet: Avatar

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker
James Cameron- Avatar
Lee Daniels- Precious
Jason Reitman- Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino- Inglorious Basterds

Once again, Tarantino is my favorite and once again, doesn't stand a chance. Kathryn Bigelow has one great strenght, besides the movie obviously: She's a woman in a category where no woman has ever won. And it's about time. However, James Cameron is definitely the man behind the movie. Avatar would be nothing without Cameron and the Academy may want say something about that.
My favorite: Tarantino
My bet: Bigelow


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

Morgan Freeman was very well but it was not a demanding role. Jeremy Renner was really good but I think he will de dismissed this year. George Clooney is just himself. The fight is between Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth. Last year, a man portraying a gay won. Since the academy has a tendency to compensate for political correctness, Firth will probably not win. And Jeff Bridges is exactly what the americans love. I dont have a favorite. My bet: Jeff Bridges.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Gabourey Sidibe- Precious
Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

I only saw Carey Mulligan and I wouldn't mind at all if she won. But it's not my best. Meryl Streep has been nominated 12 times since 1982 and never won since then. It may be her night. But I heard Sandra Bullock was really good. My bet: Bullock ( don't mind losing this one).

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon- Invictus
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger
Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Stanley Tucci- The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz- Inglorious Basterds

Christoph Waltz is 70% of Inglorious Basterds. My favorite and my bet.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz- Nine
Vera Farmiga- Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air
Mo'Nique- Precious
Maggie Gyllenhaal- Crazy Heart

Mo'nique and Gyllenhaal are the only dramatic roles. Since Crazy Heart will get best actor. Maggie Gyllenhaal cannot win. Mo'nique is my bet.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

My favorite: Inglorious Basterds. My bet: Inglorious Basters

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air

An Education is wonderfully written by Nick Hornby. I would say it's my favorite. But my bet is for Up in the Air, specially if it doesn't get any other oscar.

Best Animated Feature

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells

Up will win.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
The White Ribbon
Un Prophète

Unfortunately, I haven't seen none. From the hype of it, The White Ribbon is my bet.

And now the Oscars are about to start. Enjoy

Movie #13 - An education

By this time of the year, this blog turns into an almost exclusive movie blog. And that is because when it's Oscars time, if you live in Europe, it means that's when most of the nominated movies are showing in theaters. So, I always go to movies very often in these weeks surrounding the oscars. Last night, I went to see "An Education" which is nominated for best picture. What a refreshing movie. I really enjoyed it and I felt passionate about the movie, the same way I felt it when I was watching Inglorious Basterds (also nominated).
The best thing about the movie is called Carey Mulligan, the young actress portraying Jenny, the main character. Peter Saarsgard also goes along very well, very smoothly I would say. But Carey Mulligan is absolutely unforgettable in the role of a bright, interesting and sweet young student trying to get into Oxford who meets David, an older man who seems to be able to provide her with the life she always dreamed of. I did not see any of the other movies where the other nominees for best actress were, but I could easily see this girl getting the Oscar. My only doubt could be that I don't know her from other movies. I know she was in another movie that I saw (Public enemies) but I just don't remember her there. So, this person that she was in the movie could simply be the person she is in reality, which would make it a lot easier for her. But I just saw some information about her and realized she won several awards already (despite being only 24 years old). So, her performance in An Education was not a fluke and therefore it is oscar deserving. Whether she is the one who deserves it more, I don't know. But it's not a wrong attribution if she gets it.
The movie is also good for other aspects: the secondary characters. Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike, provide some very funny moments in the movie. The expressions that Rosamund Pike makes as a dumb blonde are priceless. Emma Thompson shows up for a total of less than 10m and almost steals the movie. The songs chosen are good. The recreation of the 60's in England is also well made. I don't like the fast pace of the ending, but all in all is a good nominee for Best Picture.
Tonight is Oscar night, and I'm now deciding whether to go ser A serious man or A single man. The first is nominated for best Picture and the second is nominated for best actor. I can't even use the title as a criterion for choice...

Movie #12 - The Hurt Locker

From the movies nominated for Best Picture, so far I've seen Inglorious Basterds, Avatar, Up in the air and (last night) The hurt locker.
The Hurt Locker is a Kathryn Bigelow's movie and it follows the everyday life of an American bomb squad in the war in Iraq.
It won the Bafta for Best Film and some people seem to think it will take the Oscar too.
I'll leave any discussion out for now about who I think will take the oscar and who I think deserves it.
In any case, this movie does deserve to be on this list. Basically, because of the performances. Jeremy Renner is great and is nominated for an Oscar too. Anthony Mackie is also impecable and maybe should have had an oscar nod with this movie.
The story is pretty basic but it is powerfully captured. Cinematography is great too. There is one scene in particular with Jeremy Renner with a fire in the background which I really thought it could stand alone as a beatiful picture.
I've never been in a war nor have I have ever been in Iraq, so I couldn't say whether the movie is accurate or not, but it sure felt realistic. And here lie two aspects that for me made the film less enjoyable. First, I thought that the choice of camera angles and editing make it too much of a documentary and less of a film. And that, along with the second aspect, which is the fact that I felt that the soundtrack was often absent, made me feel less involved in the film. So, even though it's a very good film, very well done, it is not one of those movies that in the end I was completely taken by it. Nonetheless, it is a great movie that I do recommend.

There is still a couple of movies I'd like to see before the Oscars, namely A Single man (by the former main stylist at Gucci, Tom Ford) and A Serious man by the Cohen brothers.

Since I'm sure the movies list will have new entries this month, here's an update on how things are now.

1) Slumdog Millionaire
2) 2001 Space Odissey
3) Dr Strangelove
4) It's a wonderful life
5) JFK
6) In the Valley of Elah
7) In Bruges
8) The graduate
9) The Godfather
10) Inglorious Basterds
11) Garden State
12) The Hurt Locker