Sunday 27 January 2013

19th Screen Actors Guild Awards-winner list

Argo winning the the top prize is another slap towards the  AMPAS  and I'm quite shocked to see Jennifer Lawrence winning over Jessica Chastain in the Best Actress category .Yay for Bryan Cranston for Breaking bad.!Check it out.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
WINNER: "Argo"
» "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
» "Les Misérables"
» "Lincoln"
» "Silver Linings Playbook"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER: Daniel Day-Lewis - "Lincoln"
» Bradley Cooper - "Silver Linings Playbook"
» John Hawkes - "The Sessions"
» Hugh Jackman - "Les Misérables"
» Denzel Washington - "Flight"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER: Jennifer Lawrence - "Silver Linings Playbook"
» Jessica Chastain - "Zero Dark Thirty"
» Marion Cotillard - "Rust and Bone"
» Helen Mirren - "Hitchcock"
» Naomi Watts - "The Impossible"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Tommy Lee Jones - "Lincoln"
» Alan Arkin - "Argo" » Javier Bardem - "Skyfall"
» Robert De Niro - "Silver Linings Playbook"
» Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Master"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Anne Hathaway - "Les Misérables"
» Sally Field - "Lincoln"
» Helen Hunt - "The Sessions"
» Nicole Kidman - "The Paperboy"
» Maggie Smith - "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
WINNER: "Modern Family"
» "30 Rock"
» "The Big Bang Theory"
» "Glee"
» "Nurse Jackie"
» "The Office"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
WINNER: "Downton Abbey"
» "Boardwalk Empire"
» "Breaking Bad"
» "Homeland"
» "Mad Men"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
» Ty Burrell - "Modern Family"
» Louis C.K. - "Louie"
» Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory"
» Eric Stonestreet - "Modern Family"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
WINNER: Tina Fey - "30 Rock"
» Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie"
» Amy Poehler - "Parks and Recreation"
» Sofía Vergara - "Modern Family"
» Betty White - "Hot in Cleveland"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
WINNER: Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad"
» Steve Buscemi - "Boardwalk Empire"
» Jeff Daniels - "The Newsroom"
» Jon Hamm - "Mad Men"
» Damian Lewis - "Homeland"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
WINNER: Claire Danes - "Homeland"
» Michelle Dockery - "Downton Abbey"
» Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story: Asylum"
» Maggie Smith - "Downton Abbey"
» Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife"

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
WINNER: Kevin Costner - "Hatfields & McCoys"
» Woody Harrelson - "Game Change"
» Ed Harris - "Game Change"
» Clive Owen - "Hemingway & Gellhorn"
» Bill Paxton - "Hatfields & McCoys"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
WINNER: Julianne Moore - "Game Change"
» Nicole Kidman - "Hemingway & Gellhorn"
» Charlotte Rampling - "Restless"
» Sigourney Weaver - "Political Animals"
» Alfre Woodard - "Steel Magnolias"

Anna Karenina-review


 Let me start of by saying that I haven't seen the other adaptations of Anna Karenina before.However,I'm a bit familiar with the novel.Joe Wright's adaptation of the Russian's classic is definitely one of the stylish film of 2012.

The story takes place in Russia,where Anna a young mother and a respectable socialite travels to Moscow to save her brother Stiva failing marriage leaving her only son with her old husband Alexi Karenin..There,Anna meets the charming Vronsky and was smitten by his looks and generosity.At first,she tries to resist the temptation but finally succumbs to his advances and begins an affair with the young count.Another parallel storyline is the love story between Kitty who once craves for the attention of Vronsky and Levin ,an old friend of Stiva and a simple man with simple philosophy.The rest of the movie deals on the aftermath of both relationships and the differences of lust and love.


As for the screenplay,the first half is beautifully crafted with elegance while the second half did get a bit slow and lose its momentum .The concept of taking place on the stage was a bit distracting at the beginning but as the film progresses ,you get used to it.I actually enjoy this concept as it has a old feel to it like those days where even the outdoor scenes were shot in a set.Its a refreshing concept and kudos to Joe Wright for taking a risk.The sets and the costumes are magnificent.Without a doubt the best looking film of the year.The score was another plus point.I love all the traditional Russian music and the choreography of the dancing scene is a visual delight.The whole film is done with style.While it does work in most of the scenes for instance the love making scene between Anna and Vronsky,sometimes it does feel a bit too much.For example the scenes where the male characters wear their coats in a flamboyant manner or when they are doing paperwork.Sometimes it feels a bit gimmicky.


As this is a directors film and the concept does not let it actors shine much,although some do deliver decent performances.Keira Knightley as the titular character perfectly embodies all sides of Anna whether its the doting mother,the wife of a older guy,a naive women who is capable of making decisions but incapable of facing its aftermath.She looks gorgeous in the costumes and there were some scenes where she was really good.For instance the suicide scene,the scene of her confessing the affair and of course the race track scene.

Jude Law's performance is the most subtle one in the film but is one of the strongest.Alicia Vikander freshly coming from another period costume drama  portrays the dreamy Kitty well.Its a more feminine role than Caroline in the Royal Affair and her performance grew stronger as her character progresses  that during the second half I was more invested on her rather than Anna.While Aaron Johnson gives a okay performance,I still felt he was a serious miscast.I dont find him 'manly' enough to play Vronsky and for Anna to risk everything for this boy is not convincing enough.

Both  Jude Law and Matthew Macfadden would be a nice Vronsky or even Henry Cavill who would make a masculine handsome Vronsky.Matthew Macfadden as Stiva was a joy to watch.He is so charming throughout the movie that you forget that he is a womaniser.With him ,I get why the women are after him , something I hope to find in Aaron's Vronsky.


In the end,despite it's flaws during the second half,Anna Karenina is beautiful movie with some of the best technical work in a film.
A-

Sunday 13 January 2013

70th Golden Globes Awards-Winners

Tonight's award show was definitely funny thanks to the host Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and there were some surprise winners starting with Christoph  Waltz for Django Unchainned and Lena Dunham for Girls.Ben Affleck winning the Best Director is sort of a slap in the face for the Academy who snubbed him.Jessica Chastain for the Oscars!!Lastly,Jodie Foster's speech was moving and a bit polarising at the same time

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Argo” – WINNER
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
“Les Miserables” – WINNER
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln” – WINNER
Richard Gere, “Arbitrage”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty” – WINNER
Helen Mirren, “Hitchcock”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Rachel Weisz, “The Deep Blue Sea”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Emily Blunt, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook” – WINNER
Judi Dench, “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
Maggie Smith, “Quartet”
Meryl Streep, “Hope Springs”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Jack Black, “Bernie”
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook,”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables” – WINNER
Ewan McGregor, “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
Bill Murray, “Hyde Park on Hudson”

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables” – WINNER
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Amy Adams, “The Master”
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Nicole Kidman, “The Paperboy”

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained” – WINNER
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Django Unchained”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, “Argo” – WINNER
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”
Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”
Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Argo”
“Django Unchained” – WINNER
“Zero Dark Thirty”
“Lincoln”

Best Animated Feature Film
“Brave” – WINNER
“Frankenweenie”
“Wreck-it Ralph”
“Rise of the Guardians”
“Hotel Transylvania”

Best Foreign Language Film
“The Intouchables”
“Amour” – WINNER
“A Royal Affair”
“Rust and Bone”
“Kon-Tiki”

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
“Anna Karenina”
“Life of Pi” – WINNER
“Argo”
“Lincoln”
“Cloud Atlas”

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“FOR YOU”— “Act of Valor”
Music by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban Lyrics by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
“NOT RUNNING ANYMORE” — “Stand Up Guys”
Music by: Jon Bon Jovi Lyrics by: Jon Bon Jovi
“SAFE & SOUND” — “The Hunger Games”
Music by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett Lyrics by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
“SKYFALL” — “Skyfall”
Music by: Adele, Paul Epworth Lyrics by: Adele, Paul Epworth – WINNER
“SUDDENLY” — “Les Miserables”
Music by: Claude-Michel Schonberg Lyrics by: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg

Best Television Series – Drama
“Breaking Bad”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Downton Abbey”
“Homeland” – WINNER
“The Newsroom”

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
“The Big Bang”
“Episodes”
“Girls” – WINNER
“Modern Family”
“Smash”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Damian Lewis, “Homeland” – WINNER

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Connie Britton, “Nashville”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Claire Danes, “Homeland” – WINNER
Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Lena Dunham, “Girls” – WINNER
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
 Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies” – WINNER
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Costner, “Hatfields & McCoys” – WINNER
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock”
Woody Harrelson, “Game Change”
Tobey Jones, “The Girl”
Clive Owen, “Hemmingway & Gellhorn”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Nicole Kidman, “Hemingway & Gillhorn”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story”
Sienna Miller, “The Girl”
Julianne Moore, “Game Change” – WINNER
Sigourney Weaver, “Political Animal”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayden Panettiere, “Nashville”
Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife”
Sarah Paulson, “Game Change”
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey” - WINNER
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Max Greenfield, “New Girl”
Ed Harris, “Game Change” – WINNER
Danny Huston, “Magic City”
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Game Change” – WINNER
“The Girl”
“Hatfields & McCoys”
“The Hour”
“Political Animals”

Thursday 10 January 2013

85th Academy Awards-Nominations


BEST PICTURE
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Argo
Amour
Zero Dark Thirty
Beasts of Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Les Miserables
Django Unchainned

BEST DIRECTOR
David O Russell,Silver Linings Playbook
Michael Haneke,Amour
Steven Spielberg,Lincoln
Behn Zeitlin,Beast of Southern Wild
Ang Lee,Life of Pi
BEST LEAD ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis,Lincoln
Denzel Washington-Flight
Bradley Cooper,Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman,Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix,The Master

BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Emmanuelle Riva ,Amour
Jessica Chastain,Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence,Silver Linings Playbook
Naomi Watts,The Impossible
Quvenzhané Wallis ,The Beast of Southern Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christolph Waltz,Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman,The Master
Robert DeNiro,Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin,Argo
Tommy Lee Jones,Lincoln
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sally Field,Lincoln
Amy Adams,The Master
Anne Hatthaway,Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver,Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt,The Sessions

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Beast of The Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Argo
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Flight
Zero Dark Thrity
Django Unchainned
Amour
Moonrise Kingdom

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Frankenweenie
Paranorman
Brave
Wreck it Ralph
The Pirates!Band of Misfits
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
No
War Witch
A Royal Affair
Kon Tiki

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Adam and Dog
Fresh Guacamole
Head over Heels
Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare
Paperman

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Inocente
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Asad
Buzkashi Boys
Curfew
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)
Henry

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anna Karenina
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina,
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Mirror Mirror
Snow White and the Huntsman

BEST FILM EDITING
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty."
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Anna Karenina
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Life of Pi
Les Miserables
Skyfall
Ted
Chasing Ice

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

BEST SOUND EDITING
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST SOUND MIXING
Argo
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Life of Pi
Prometheus
Marvel's The Avenger
Snow White and The Huntsman
The Hobbit:The Unexpected Journey

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Most Anticipating Films of 2013

13)The Counselor
-The  big and talented cast.Love it
12)Beautiful Creatures


-The Hunger Games convinced  everyone that a  film adaptation of a Young Adult novel can be really good and unlike Twillight,it has some strong positive messages.Then came Beautiful Creatures another romance filled YA novel.Based on the trailer,the visuals are okay but its the cast  that is very appealing to me.Viola Davis,Emma Thompson,Jeremy Irons and the beautiful  Emmy Rossum did provoke my interest.Lets hope it will be the opposite of Twillight.

11)Pacific Rim

-Another film that did get my interest until I saw the trailer.The CGIs looks awesome and glad to see Rinko Kikuchi in a English film. And did I mention its a Guillermo Del Toro movie?

10)To The Wonder

-This was one of the film that received mixed and polarising view last year(like most Terrence Mallick film) but the trailer looks amazing and Olga looks likes gorgeous .Finally in a role where she is not a femme fatale.

9)The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug
I felt the first Hobbit film was a disappointment even though it was better than the novel.I just hope the second movie would be better.
8)Catching Fire
-The sequel of the Hunger Games with new cast members including Phillip Seymour Hoffman,Jena Mone and Sam Claffin.Catching Fire would deal on how both Katniss and Peeta survival in the Hunger Games had sparked a rebellion amongst  the districts.
7)The Place Beyond The Pines

-The director of Blue Valentine  and Ryan Gosling reunites in this film about  a man becoming a robber for his son.

6)Two Faces Of January
Based on Patricia Highsmith novel(who wrote the Ripliad series) the film has Viggo Mortensen ,Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Issaac playing the lead in the film.

5)The Disapearance of Eleanor Rigby
Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy in a movie about the relationship of a couple from two different point of view.Fresh and interesting.

4)Kick Ass 2
-The whole team is back except for the director Matthew Vaughn with Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes Lindy Booth as Night Bitch.

3)An Enemy
-Its about a film of a man obsessed with his doppelganger.If I'm not wrong ,this film will be based on the novel The Double which also served as an inspiration for Darren Afronosky.Jake Gyllenhaal will be playing the lead with Inglorious Basterds's Melanie Laurent in another English film.

2)Stoker

-It has a look of a Hitchcock film with a stellar cast .It looks weird and great at the same time and I really  curious of Uncle Charlie's story which will be played by Matthew Goode.

1)Man Of Steel

-With Christopher Nolan producing and Zack Snyder directing, Man of Steel will be played by the british hunk Henry Cavill and the beautiful Amy Adams as  Louis Lane.Plus we have  Rusell Crowe,Kevin Costner,Michael Shannon a part of the cast and  a possible appearance of Wonder Woman and  Justice League refrences.Do I need to say more?