14th British Independent Film award 2011- nomination list

Here are the nomination list for the British Independent Film Awards.I'm really delighted to see both Shame and the film Weekend are given recognition even though both the films deals with controversial storyline.Both of those film had wonderful performance by its lead actors.

This is Michael Fassbender's first best actor nomination from the critics after winning the Volpi cup in Venice.If he keeps on picking on more nominations ,he is sure on a clear path to the Oscars.The same thing goes for Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton for portraying a young cold blooded murderer and his mother respectively in We Need To Talk About Kelvin.

• My prediction of  the nominee that will win
• The nominee that i feel deserved to win but most likely not to

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
SENNA
SHAME
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
TYRANNOSAUR
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Wheatley – KILL LIST
Steve McQueen – SHAME
Tomas Alfredson – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR
Lynne Ramsay – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN


THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Joe Cornish – ATTACK THE BLOCK
Ralph Fiennes – CORIOLANUS
John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD
Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE
Paddy Considine – TYRANNOSAUR

BEST SCREENPLAY
John Michael McDonagh – THE GUARD
Ben Wheatley, Amy Jump – KILL LIST
Abi Morgan, Steve McQueen – SHAME
Richard Ayoade – SUBMARINE
Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

BEST ACTRESS
Rebecca Hall – THE AWAKENING
Mia Wasikowska – JANE EYRE
MyAnna Buring – KILL LIST
Olivia Colman – TYRANNOSAUR
Tilda Swinton – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

BEST ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson – THE GUARD
Neil Maskell – KILL LIST
Michael Fassbender – SHAME
Gary Oldman – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Peter Mullan – TYRANNOSAUR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Felicity Jones – ALBATROSS
Vanessa Redgrave – CORIOLANUS
Carey Mulligan – SHAME
Sally Hawkins – SUBMARINE
Kathy Burke – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael Smiley – KILL LIST
Tom Hardy – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Benedict Cumberbatch – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Eddie Marsan – TYRANNOSAUR
Ezra Miller – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Jessica Brown Findlay – ALBATROSS
John Boyega – ATTACK THE BLOCK
Craig Roberts – SUBMARINE
Yasmin Paige – SUBMARINE
Tom Cullen – WEEKEND

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
KILL LIST
TYRANNOSAUR
WEEKEND
WILD BILL
YOU INSTEAD

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris King, Gregers Sall – Editing – SENNA
Sean Bobbitt – Cinematography – SHAME
Joe Walker – Editing – SHAME
Maria Djurkovic – Production Design – TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Seamus McGarvey – Cinematography – WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

BEST FOREIGN INDEPENDENT FILM
ANIMAL KINGDOM
DRIVE
PINA
A SEPARATION
THE SKIN I LIVE IN

So do you agree with me?Who do you think will win?

My Top 13 Horror Films

Since its Halloween,I wanna list some of my my favourite horror movies here in Memonisma.Some are scary while some I loved it for being just good.

1.Ringu

Japan is really good in  making quality horror films and Ringu is the best of all the films.The plot is about the a videotape which is cursed and the person who watches it will die in a week.Sounds silly right...watch it, your opinion will change.

2.Let The Right One In & Let Me In

Both the Swedish and English adaptation of the novel Let The Right One In is considered the most refreshing horror film of the decade.They are not that scary when you compare to the other films but both really good films.The performance of the young actors in the films are superb.

3.Wishing Stairs

Korean film Wishing Stairs is another favourite of mine.It deals on  a legend that if  you climb a 28 steps stairs and count it loudly ,and find a 29th stairs,a spirit will appear and grant a you a wish.But as usual the spirits never gives anything for free.

4.The Exorcism Of Emily Rose

My favourite of the exorcist series.I loved this movie mainly for the performance of Jennifer Carpenter and limbs bending scenes.

5.Rosemary's Baby

A classical horror film by Roman Polanski.The film deals about a women who is carrying Satan's son in her womb.

6.Ju-on

A film with a simple plot that whoever enters this haunting house will die.The brilliant sound effects and the makeups makes you cringe.NOTE: the  ghost sound in the movie is made from the sound of a comb scratching a table.That's freakin cool!

7.The Sixth Sense

A good horror film with a unexpected twist in the ending by M.Night Syamalan.The tent scene where the girl ghost who had been poisoned is quite scary.M.Night Syamalan might be a one trick pony when it comes to unexpected twists in his film,but you have to agree those twist are really good and it requires talent.

8.Drag Me To Hell

A film that deals with a women cursed by a gypsy women played wonderfully by Alison Lohman and Lorna Raver as the young women and the gypsy women respectively.the film had a very impressive and fast screenplay and some frightening and disgusting scenes too.Yes.. the attack in the car and at the funeral house scenes.

9.Carrie

Carrie based on the Stephen King novel,is another of my favourite.It is not scary if you ask me but its a good film to watch.

10. The Hills Have Eyes -2006

The remake of the original film  which is also equally scary.The scene where those mutated people attacks the family all at the same time was my favourite scene though i was a little disgusted  with some of the scenes(I was 14 at that time in my defense)

11.Paranormal Activity

A low budget film with a simple plot but it has some frightening scenes even though you don't get to see the ghost until the end of the film.

12. Manichitratazhu

An Indian film that is about a housewife who gets possessed by the spirit of a  Indian classical dancer who was killed like 50 years ago by the king for refusing his sexual advances .The film also deals with psychology issues  faced by the wife which actually played a role in the possession.

13.Shutter

The Thai film Shutter is another of my favourite.There are few scenes that are really scary especially the last scenes where it is revealed the ghost is actually sitting on the shoulders of the men who is responsible for her death.

That's the list of my favourite  horror films. What you think about the list?.. have you watch all of them ?

Have a nice celebration if you're celebrating!





Friday's Best Actor

Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska portrayal of Jane Eyre in the recent adaptation of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte had been described as the best portrayal of the classical character so far.From the first scene where you see her crying and walking to the last one,Mia played Jane  so well.Her pale complexion seems to bring the plain Jane Eyre to life and Mia channels  emotion well from the start of the film where she ran from Mr.Rochester  till the end.If YOU didn't catch the film just checkout the trailer below.

Pure Talent- Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones who stole everyone  attention using just her performance in the indie film Like Crazy,is the actress I would like to highlight in the Pure Talent section.

Felicity Jones(27 years) started her acting career in television film and series projects until she got a small role in the film Flashbacks Of A Fool.She played the younger version of Ruth and did a descent job as the crush/friend of Joe Scot(Harry Eden) who is cheated by him who is having an affair with a elderly women.

After appearing in series of films, Felicity appeared as Anna in the indie film  Like Crazy.Her performance garnered  positive reviews from the critics and even earned a  Special Grand Jury Prize in the Sundance Film Festival.Her portrayal as Anna the British exchange student wowed the critics.Her emotional  bathing scene with Anton Yelchin also created some attention.Many had compared her portrayal of Anna to Carey Mulligan in An Education.The chemistry between Felicity and Anton works and Felicity does a good job in conveying expressions like awkwardness and lonely.All the dialogues Felicity speaks in the film are improvised  by herself during the takes as the director wanted everything to be raw and real.That's pure talent!

Then she appeared in the film Chalet Girl which received  mixed reviews but praises for her performance as the skateboarder champion that becomes a chalet girl due to some personal problems.she is about to appear in the films Hysteria ,Cheerful Weather For The Wedding and the BBC drama Page Eight.

Paramount Pictures had started campaigning for Felicity Jones for the Oscars. Felicity looks like a strong contender for the Best Actress category and only time will say whether Felicity makes it.

All the best to Felicity Jones both for the Oscars and her career.Next week Memonisma will be highlighting Joseph Gordon Levitt,a well known face who is at the peak in his career as an actor.

84th Academy Awards-Best Costume Design

1.Hugo

Besides its beautiful cinematography and visual effects,the costumes in the film Hugo is another category garnering some buzz even before the release.The costume of the 90s in Paris and  with the  choice of colourful costumes gives a feeling of being in another world.Sandy Powell the costume designer of the film had already been nominated 9 times for the Oscar and won 3.

2.The Help

The Help has a setting during the 60s and the costume differs in both of the maids and their bosses in Mississippi.The costumes had some colourful prints did brought  the 60s to life.We had earlier seen the work of the costume designer Sharen Davis  in Dreamgirls and Ray which she was nominated for Best Costume Design and some impressiveve work in both The Pursuit of Happiness and Seven Pounds.

3.The Artist

Mark Bridges used the costumes during the 1920s ,old Hollywood glamour styles in order to revive the  essence of the silent cinema and its actors at that time.He is yet to been nominated and I feel he is about to see his first Oscar nod

4.Anonymous

The film Anonymous had costumes of the aristocrats and  the commoners during time of Queen Elizabeth .The film Anonymous is garnering buzz for its costume design(Lisy Christl) and for its art direction.

 

5.A Dangerous Method

Denise Cronenberg   work for creating the  costumes of the two famous  fathers of psychoanalysis  Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud  and Sabina the Russian patient who  starts to have affair with Jung is also garnering some buzz for the designer who had been working in Cronenberg earlier films. 

6.Immortals

Eiko Ishioska is also garnering some buzz even before the release of the film Immortals for creating the  costumes of the Greek mythology based film.The warrior costumes of the Gods received positive reactions from the critics at the pre-screening of the film.Eiko had already won an Oscar for his work for Dracula.

7.Jane Eyre

Michael O'Connor is the costume designer for the film Jane Eyre.he is well known for his work in the Duchess which he won an Oscar.Michael O'Connor created  amazing costumes worn during the Victorian  era.the film is also garnering some buzz in the art direction department.

84th Academy Awards-BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1.The Tree Of Life(predicted winner)

Emmanuel Lubezki

4 nominations

0 win

2.The Artist

Guillame Schiffman

0 nominations

3.Melancholia

Manuel Alberto Claro

0 nominations

4.War Horse

Janusz Kaminski

2 nominations

2 wins

5.The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Jeff Cronenweth

1 nomination

0 nominations

Other films that could get nominated :

6.Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Eduardo Serra

2 nominations

0 win



7.Midnight In Paris

Darius Khondji

1 nomination

0 wins

8.Hugo Cabaret

Robert Richardson

6 nominations

2 wins





Hugo Cabaret-new trailer

Here is the the new trailer of the film Hugo Cabaret.Directed by Martin Scorsese,staring Asa Butterfield,Chloe Grace Moretz,Ben Kingsley and Jude Law. Based on just the trailer,visually its a beautiful film.Every scene looks wonderfully done and the cast is strong too.

The film looks like a serious contender for the following categories.
Best Visual Effects
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

Successful Movies and Oscars Nominations

Usually movies with intense plots and high level acting are the films that makes up the most nomination in the Oscars but we also do  see films that is carried mainly by its technical team grace the nomination list.Its the kind of film which is done just for the entertainment sake  for the audience.Some do fall in comedy genre, some into the action genre and there is other genres too.These are the films that do well in the box office and when its technical team is at high notch with the plot and the and cast being good,these films get nominated for various category for the awards season.For instance the Harry Potter films,the LOTR trilogy and last year Avatar.
So here are the films that  was released this year and still awaiting the release that could get nominated.

1.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor -Alan Rickman
Best Supporting Actor-Ralph Fiennes
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Art Direction

Best Visual Effects

2.Bridesmaids

Best Supporting Actress-Melissa McCarthy

Best Supporting Actress- Rose Byrne

3.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Picture
Best Actress-Rooney Mara
Best Supporting Actor-Stellan Skarsgard
Best Cinematograpy
Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay

Best Original Score

Best Sound Mixing

4.Rise of the Planet of Apes

Best Visual Effects

5.Transformers:Dark of the Moon

Best Visual Effects
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing

6.Immortals

Best Visual Effects
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Makeup
Best Costume Design

7.Pirates of the Caribbean:On Stranger Tides

Best Costume Design
Best Art Direction
Best Makeup

NOTE:
predicted to get nominated
surprise nomination

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Conelly- review

Published in 2005 The Lincoln Lawyer is written by Michael Conelly featuring Mick Haller as its protagonist.
The novel is about defense attorney Mick Haller defending a successful  wealthy realtor Louis Roulet against a case by Reggie Campo who claimed Roulet had assaulted her and threat to kill her and rape her.
Louis Roulet who appeared to be a innocent rich guy who had been framed for his money during the first half of the novel,is then revealed to be a cold blooded serial killer who had earlier killed few women before.Mick Haller couldn't go to the police due to the attorney-client ethics but when his friend/colleague was murdered by Lois Roulet using Mick Haller's gun,Mick Haller has no choice other than to help Louis getting acquitted from the charges.Will Mick Haller just  go along Louis Roulet's blackmail in order to save himself and help Louis or go against his client-attorney code to prove Louis crime in order to revenge for his friend or come out a way that proves Roulet guilty without going against the code.
The Lincoln Lawyer is a perfect novel for the ones who likes thriller court drama.Being a law student myself ,I enjoyed the novel.My favourite character is Mick Haller the main character himself.Its not always the main character becomes my favourite character but I like Mick Haller because he is a real lawyer we usually come across with.The kind who works for the bucks but not for the heart but in this case he starts to change his way.He knows Roulet is pure evil and gain a weird pleasure by killing women which is not explained why in the book.I loved how Mick stayed calm in the trial and how he treated the trial as  a show performance,he knows when to create the drama and he knows when to play subtle.He sort of enjoy the trial and likes show off his skill as good lawyer during trial even though when he is linked to murder of his friend.I liked the way he is in court.Another character I liked is Louis Roulet himself.He is not a typical villain.He is rich,good looking but inside he is a total different person.He is an animal inside.I loved the part where Roulet told Mick Haller during the start of a trial that he is the one who killed the women and he is also the one that killed Raul Levin, Mick's friend  as though he is telling him he stole $10.The Lincoln Lawyer taught me that not to think that  money is everything.Mick discovers that at the middle of the novel.
I could not find anything bad about the book.So overall I enjoyed  the Lincoln Lawyer and I'm going  go and watch the film adaptation of the  novel ASAP.

Grade: A

Henry Cavill -Rising and Talented

I was a little biased whether to include Henry Cavill in the Pure Talent section as Henry has not yet appeared in a role where he depends solely on the acting.So I decided to talk about Henry in a separate article.

No one can deny the fact that Henry Cavill is one of the good looking actor in Hollywood and he can actually act .He had been called the 'Most Unluckiest Actor in Hollwood' as he come so close in getting  roles in prominent films like James Bond  and Twillight franchise but ultimately lost the role for being to young for the roles but that's about to change.If you ask me,personally I feel Henry should be thanking God for not getting casted in those films especially the Twillight films.Yes those films would make you famous,girls screaming for you but it is hard to come out as a serious actor from it.It would be a curse in his acting career.

I noted Henry Cavill first in the Showtime series The Tudors.He played the playboy Charles Brandon and he did a descent commendable job in The Tudors.In Blood Creek he managed to show some acting skills as he portrayed the brother who had to take care of his brother's family after his brother gone missing suddenly and then joining his brother to revenge those who kidnapped and tortured his brother.He managed to shine in a film with plot holes.

2011 seem to be 'the' year for Henry.he has been filming 2 major studio films,Man of Steel where he plays  the iconic Superman and in Immortals where we will be seeing him as Theseus.He also had another thriller film The Cold Light of Day opposite Bruce Willis where he will playing a man trying to save his kidnapped parents.All three films is totally different and he had larger scope to perform. The effort Henry has taken to build his body for the roles amaze me.I have this feeling that Man of Steel  and Immortals will do what Batman did for Christian Bale.The pre-screening of the film Immortals recently received positive reviews and critics praising Henry  for his portrayal of the Greek hero.The film will be released November 11 next month.And with names like Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan attached to Man of Steel,I feel it would also be a great Superman film with a darker tone.

All three films will definitely push Henry into the A-list .However Henry should be starting to do serious films after this,dramatic films with really good script after those films.Take for instance both Christian Bale and Robert Downey Jr. and what they did after Batman and Ironman respectively.

I wish all the best to Henry Cavill for his future films and hope those films give him the recognition he deserves and looking forward to see his next career moves.I'm looking forward to write an article for Henry  in the Pure Talent section someday.Again,all the best to Henry Cavill!!

Friday's Best Actor

Sophie Turner

Sophie Turner played Sansa Stark in the HBO's Games of Thrones.Sansa Stark is  a typical teenager character of those days who only sees boys as her main priority admist all the problems going on in the Games of Thrones.Sansa is a quiet character  and Sophie Turner being a complete opposite in her real life, played the character so well that  some people who watched the series actually hated her ,due to her  Sansa character in the series .The scenes where she begs to Joffrey for her father's life and  after finding out that Jofferey is an animal despite his external attractive appearance and tried to push him was so good  and it is shocking to learn this is her first time in front the camera.I'm looking forward to see how Sansa's character changes in the season 2 and Sophie portraying it.

Pure Talent-Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick

Anna Kendrick debuted in the musical independent film Camp playing a small supporting role.Then she played the fast talking Ginny Reyson in the film Rocket Science.Anna Kendrick manage to portray the ambitious and would do anything to win role so well.She manage to ooze innocence at first half of the film and some selfishness at the end of the film.She played a small role of Jessica Stanley in the the Twilight movies.Even with a small role,she stood out among the cast of the film.

In the Oscar nominated film Up The Air,Anna Kendrick played Natalie Keener,a graduate which is freshly hired and aides George Clooney's character in firing in employees.Again she manage to exude some  innocence mixed with some dramatic acting.Kendrick received a Oscar nod for her performance in the film.

Then this year,Anna Kendrick appeared in the film 50/50 which was released few weeks ago.She played a new psychologist who became Joseph Gordon Levitt's therapist.She received great reviews for the role and one critic saying she nailed playing a know it all role with shades of vulnerability.

Anna Kendrick has a impressive projects ahead her,End of Watch,Pitch Perfect and The Company You Keep.I wish Anna Kendrick all the best and looking forward for her future projects.

Deception Point by Dan Brown- review

Although released in 2001 ,I finished Dan Brown's Deception Point yesterday.I have to say that even though many movies and books based on extraterrestrials life had been made and written,Deception Point is totally different.The discovery of the extraterrestrial life was linked together with the presidential election.It is a fast pace thriller and all the characters are realistic and flawed like a normal human being.

A meteorite has been discovered by NASA buried deep in the Milne ice shaft at the Artic.Rachel sexton along with some other civilian scientists had been send to Artic so confirm the authenticity of the meteorite.If proved to be real,President Zach Herney can finally prove to his opponent  Senator Sedgewick Sexton and the citizen of US that funding for NASA is not wasting money(a point used by Senator sexton in his presidential campaigning against the President).Rachel and the scientists proved the meteorite was authentic and its fossilised space bug on the meteorite is also real.Zach Herney prepares a press conference to tell the world that NASA had made the biggest  discovery of mankind.However 1 hour before the press conference, by accident Rachel and the scientist found that the meteorite was planted into the ice from below of the ice as they found some plankton in the extraction site.Who is responsible for this ?Is this something done by the President and NASA as their political move?The president is just minutes away to confirm this wrong data to the world.If the President is innocent, he is about  toliterally read his resignation letter.
The plot moves in a fast pace after this as the author tries to play with our mind  about who is responsible for this mess and is the meteorite authentic.
My favourite character of the book is two of the female supporting character Majorie Tench and Gabrielle Ashe.Majorie Tench is raspy voiced old women who have the tongue of sword and is brain behind Zach Herney presidential campaign.My favorite part would be the part where she tries to get Gabrielle to commit that she had an affair with the Senator Sexton and admit her fault.The part where Majorie lures Senator Sexton into an invisible trap during their confrontation in CNN was also great.
Gabrielle Ashe is another of my favourite character in this book. She works for the campaign of Senator Sexton, a young black woman who has clear goals and ambitions  in Washington and is the brain behind Senator Sexton campaign.It is a brave and tough  female character in the politic world dominated by the men.She provides him with many useful information and at one point even risking her life.SPOILER-Gabrielle Ashe is the real hero at the end of the book for the sacrifice she made for the country.
On the negative sides of the book , the main character Rachel Sexton characterization  is poorly made.I don't feel connected with  the character as I am with the others.It could be due to the multi narration mode.However, I do like the subtle romance between Rachel and Michael
Overall Deception Point is a good book to read.The book like other Dan brown's book feeds you knowledge on stuff you would probably never heard before.

Grade:A-

Fassbender,Gosling or Pitt?

2011 seems to be a year that is great for the career of these actors.While Brad Pitt is well known face in the movies and Ryan Gosling a indie favourite,Michael Fassbender is a rising star.So what does these three actors have in common? Besides they are great actors,they are having serious buzz as contenders for the Best Actor category.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt has two critically acclaimed movie this year.While he is garnering serious buzz for the supporting category for the Tree of Life,it is Moneyball that made him to be mentioned here.Brad Pitt plays once baseball prodigy whose career didn't took off well and becomes a general manager for the Oaklands Athletics.Brad Pitt performance received great reviews and critics do appreciate the humor inserted by him into the character Beane.Brad Pitt is no more the sexy guy in the movies .He seems to start to choose good roles and manage to perform too.From the Curious Case of Benjamin Button to Moneyball and so on.

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling appeared as the stuntman  who have a totally different life at night the film Drive while he played a junior campaign manager who at first was reluctant and disgust at how the politician plays dirty tricks,at last losing himself and becoming equally bad and cunning in The Ides of March.Ryan's performance in both film brought him great reviews and he was praised for carrying two very distinct roles.Ryan had been snubbed before for his performance in Blue Valentine and Lars and the Real Girl.Ryan Gosling had done so distinct roles this year and even tried comedy for the first time in Crazy Stupid Love

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender not only have starred in 4 critically acclaimed movies this year,Jane Eyre,X-Men First Class,a Dangerous Method and the masterpiece Shame, his film X-Men First Class is one of the successful movie at the box officce this year.However,it is the film Shame and the David Croneberg a Dangerous Method made Michael to be mention here.While Michael received favourable review in the film a Dangerous Method for his portrayal of Carl Jung,he received universal acclaimed for his performance as the sex addict Brandon in Shame.His performance as a vulnerable man who have a serous addiction was moving so raw.Michael Fassbender seem to play  flawed roles so well.I couldn't even  imagine what and how Michael did to become Brandon during  the shooting as it is a very disturbed character.It is a very tormented character and for Michael to play it so well ,I'm speechless.Michael bared his soul and gave a breathtaking performance in the film Shame.He won the Volpi cup at the Venice Film Festival which I believe is the beginning of his winning streak.

So which of these three wonderful actors would get nominated for the best actor category for the 84th Best Actor category?Based on the lengthy explanation,I reckon you guys had guessed I'm rooting for Michael Fassbender.YES,I am but I also appreciate the performance of the other two.So who are you rooting for ?Who do you guys feels deserved the nomination the most?