Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Moveeh
Probably director Joel Lamangan's most inspired work in years, Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Movie is a visual and aural delight. It's a fun musical based on (and quite faithful to) Carlo Vergara's hit graphic novel about a gay parlor owner who becomes a super-powered babe upon swallowing a large rock from outer space. Despite some shortcomings, the visual effects are highly commendable for a local production and adequately capture the humor inherent in even the most sophisticated of sequences. Rustom Padilla as Ada and Zsa Zsa Padilla as Ada transformed into the superheroine Zaturnnah are both amazing in their respective roles, both showing great vulnerability and, in Padilla's case, just the right amount of flair to be believable as someone who has just newly acquired a much-wanted female anatomy. Chokoleit as sidekick Didi has good comic timing (though it can be argued that the role isn't much of a stretch for him), and Alfred Vargas is appropriately charming (and undressed) as the object of Ada/Zsa Zsa's fantasies. Pops Fernandez's screen presence fizzles despite being the main antagonist Femina Baroux, but she makes up for the general lack of luster with a fiery musical showdown with Padilla (both of them are highly skilled singers). The musical numbers are all fun sequences (one has enemy zombies singing in the background as Zaturnnah pleads in song with her undead father to accept his son's chosen way of life) but do not dominate the movie, giving the actors time to show their mettle and the story to develop until the satisfactory though slightly gratuitous and artificial (one of the departures from the source material) ending. Grade: B+
Ligalig
Director Cesar Montano should probably be commended for trying a different approach at storytelling and directing, especially since his Ligalig is a thriller, but here is an example of good intentions gone seriously wrong. While the cinematography and editing work in a few sequences, it usually borders on being completely abominable. Short sequences with Montano's character Jun in his cab provide a harrowing glimpse into how a director could use too much of something he thinks would be cool to see in a movie. In this case, the camera angle turns carelessly and annoyingly from one side of the car to the other without dramatic sense. The plot is utterly predictable and the concept a tired cliche in thrillers, though in an industry steeped in tearjerkers and teen dramas and superhero movies, Montano will still probably get [overly] praised for his effort. To this viewer, who has more respect for what Filipinos are capable of doing, Montano's latest is a pretentious waste of cinematic style. One of the few things going for it: an impressive performance from Montano's wife, Sunshine Cruz. Grade: D
Super Noypi
Quark Henares, the director of Super Noypi, is of that generation of filmmakers to which audiences and industry insiders have looked to renew the local film industry with new ideas and styles. That is what makes this film, already a dud in all aspects, even more disappointing. The visual effects are a painful throwback to the inadequate and cringe-worthy attempts in staple Filipino fantasy films of the 80s and the early 90s. The acting is atrocious. Why do two movies in this film festival have as the main villain Monsour del Rosario, a wooden, lifeless actor who should just focus on sports (at least he excels in that field)? The cheap puppets used as monsters in local horror flicks can give him acting lessons. Did Henares simply tell Sandara Park: "Just act as dumb and annoying as most people think you are"? Why are the kids acting like their parents haven't been kidnapped by the villain (unless they know how pathetic he really is and aren't that worried)? And do the parents, after being rescued, enjoy watching their children get tossed aside by said pathetic villain on a video screen in their safe and comfy aircraft? What was Quark Henares thinking? He obviously does not know how to handle a large budget for a film. Logical flaws, plot holes, and acting duds aside, the film has an even greater sin: blatantly ripping off many aspects of the Marvel comic book "Runaways" without due credit. The few funny moments, mostly courtesy of a surprisingly scene-stealing John Pratts, are not enough to even make this insipid, innane film remotely watchable. Grade: F
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Dream cast for Evangelion
Most fans of the groundbreaking anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" like myself are both excited and more than a bit wary about the potential of a live-action adaptation (which has been reported to be in progress from as far back as 2004). It's undoubtedly going to be a visual spectacle, with WETA onboard to take charge of its production design, but who's going to direct it? Who will play Shinji, Misato, Asuka, and the other characters? Will it be in Japanese?
Eva.trivialbeing.net is the primary source for news on the live-action project, and there hasn't been any concrete update regarding its development. A fan-designed trailer is up on that site, however, and despite questionable casting choices (see for yourself), it shows the vast potential that the live-action film has as a sci-fi epic unlike anything we have even seen.
So my interest has been reawakened. I'm crossing my fingers that it's Peter Jackson or some great director dedicated to keeping the spirit of the anime. The casting has to work on the basis of cultural nuances and the actors' ability to capture the eccentricities of perhaps Japanese animation's most psychologically complex characters. I came up with this list before in my old website, but I'm posting it here again. Tell me what you think. (Forgive the edited photos; I'm a mere amateur in photoshop editing, was just having fun with these).
Yagira Yuuya as Ikari Shinji
Ikari Shinji just HAS to be Japanese. And if it's to be a young Japanese actor, who better than Yagira Yuuya, a Best Actor awardee at Cannes? Shinji is a disturbingly complex character. I don't want some pouting Caucasian boy making him nothing more than a brooding adolescent. Whoever plays him has to be a great actor.
Emma Watson as Soryu Asuka Langley
Up until the writing of this, I was still choosing between Emily Browning, who impressed me a lot as Violet Baudelaire in 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Emma Watson, who we all know and have come to love (in varying degrees) as Hermione Granger. Looking at photos of both, and considering what I've seen from them, I'm finally choosing Watson. I'm convinced that she can effectively portray spunky, naughty, tragically unhinged Asuka, and she'll look great with the character's signature red hair.
Matsushima Nanako as Katsuragi Misato
Most film fans know her as the lead of Ringu, but to see how brilliant she would be as Katsuragi Misato, one has to watch her performance in the live-action "Great Teacher Onizuka" series. After watching that, I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Misato. She has the beauty, the stance, and the general attitude to pull it off perfectly. I can imagine Matsushima as drunk Misato, stern tactician Misato, emotionally ravaged Misato... She'll be perfect.
Sanada Hiroyuki as Ikari Gendou
Matsushima's ex
-husband in Ringu, Sanada Hiroyuki, has a dark, brooding intensity that has landed him such strong roles as that and as the originally unaccepting samurai in The Last Samurai. Just imagine him glaring over overlapping fingers as Shinji's villainous father, Gendou. He'd be chilling, with just enough cold humanity to make him at least remotely worthy of sympathy.
Maggie Cheung as Akagi Ritsuko
The brilliant NERV scientist Ritsuko has ever been described as cold, even by her close friends. Respected Chinese actress Maggie Cheung has the looks of cold steel and intellect that would be perfect for this role. Gong Li is another possibility, but Akagi's hair (even if only in style and not in color) would fit Cheung better, and Cheung's body frame seems a better fit.
Takeshi Kaneshiro as Ryoji Kaji
There are few Japanese men as ruggedly handsome as Takeshi Kaneshiro. Need I say more? Kaji is a real ladies' man, a charmer, and few can capture that on film better than Kaneshiro would. Plus, that's one big segment of the market already in the bag if he's in.
Takeshi 'Beat
' Kitano as Commander Fuyutsuki
Beat Kitano has a powerful presence, but he can be quiet and subtle when he wants to be. He can bring the necessary calmness, humility, and strength of character that Fuyutsuki is known for.
What about Ayanami Rei?
One of Japanese animation's most popular characters of all time is also one of the most difficult to cast, especially for someone like me who hasn't watched a lot of recent Japanese films. Suzuka Ohgo was a revelation in Memoirs of a Geisha, but she may be too cute to play the iconically eerie Rei (unless some transformation happens to the actress in a year). A lot of people are probably going to erupt with indignation upon my even suggesting this, but Dakota Fanning has proven that 1) she can act very well and 2) she can look pretty creepy. Imagine her with a red-eyed glare, saying almost nothing. Shudder. But I'm making the call out of ignorance, so it's not necessarily my ideal casting.
I really hope that this film gets made, and that it ends up being one of the most kick-ass sci-fi movies ever made. If you agree with my choices and know someone in the film's production team (or are in it yourself), then I hope you help make this dream cast a reality.
Eva.trivialbeing.net is the primary source for news on the live-action project, and there hasn't been any concrete update regarding its development. A fan-designed trailer is up on that site, however, and despite questionable casting choices (see for yourself), it shows the vast potential that the live-action film has as a sci-fi epic unlike anything we have even seen.
So my interest has been reawakened. I'm crossing my fingers that it's Peter Jackson or some great director dedicated to keeping the spirit of the anime. The casting has to work on the basis of cultural nuances and the actors' ability to capture the eccentricities of perhaps Japanese animation's most psychologically complex characters. I came up with this list before in my old website, but I'm posting it here again. Tell me what you think. (Forgive the edited photos; I'm a mere amateur in photoshop editing, was just having fun with these).
Yagira Yuuya as Ikari Shinji
Ikari Shinji just HAS to be Japanese. And if it's to be a young Japanese actor, who better than Yagira Yuuya, a Best Actor awardee at Cannes? Shinji is a disturbingly complex character. I don't want some pouting Caucasian boy making him nothing more than a brooding adolescent. Whoever plays him has to be a great actor.
Emma Watson as Soryu Asuka Langley
Up until the writing of this, I was still choosing between Emily Browning, who impressed me a lot as Violet Baudelaire in 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Emma Watson, who we all know and have come to love (in varying degrees) as Hermione Granger. Looking at photos of both, and considering what I've seen from them, I'm finally choosing Watson. I'm convinced that she can effectively portray spunky, naughty, tragically unhinged Asuka, and she'll look great with the character's signature red hair.Matsushima Nanako as Katsuragi Misato
Most film fans know her as the lead of Ringu, but to see how brilliant she would be as Katsuragi Misato, one has to watch her performance in the live-action "Great Teacher Onizuka" series. After watching that, I couldn't imagine anyone else playing Misato. She has the beauty, the stance, and the general attitude to pull it off perfectly. I can imagine Matsushima as drunk Misato, stern tactician Misato, emotionally ravaged Misato... She'll be perfect.
Sanada Hiroyuki as Ikari Gendou
Matsushima's ex
-husband in Ringu, Sanada Hiroyuki, has a dark, brooding intensity that has landed him such strong roles as that and as the originally unaccepting samurai in The Last Samurai. Just imagine him glaring over overlapping fingers as Shinji's villainous father, Gendou. He'd be chilling, with just enough cold humanity to make him at least remotely worthy of sympathy.Maggie Cheung as Akagi Ritsuko
The brilliant NERV scientist Ritsuko has ever been described as cold, even by her close friends. Respected Chinese actress Maggie Cheung has the looks of cold steel and intellect that would be perfect for this role. Gong Li is another possibility, but Akagi's hair (even if only in style and not in color) would fit Cheung better, and Cheung's body frame seems a better fit.
Takeshi Kaneshiro as Ryoji Kaji
There are few Japanese men as ruggedly handsome as Takeshi Kaneshiro. Need I say more? Kaji is a real ladies' man, a charmer, and few can capture that on film better than Kaneshiro would. Plus, that's one big segment of the market already in the bag if he's in.
Takeshi 'Beat
' Kitano as Commander FuyutsukiBeat Kitano has a powerful presence, but he can be quiet and subtle when he wants to be. He can bring the necessary calmness, humility, and strength of character that Fuyutsuki is known for.
What about Ayanami Rei?
One of Japanese animation's most popular characters of all time is also one of the most difficult to cast, especially for someone like me who hasn't watched a lot of recent Japanese films. Suzuka Ohgo was a revelation in Memoirs of a Geisha, but she may be too cute to play the iconically eerie Rei (unless some transformation happens to the actress in a year). A lot of people are probably going to erupt with indignation upon my even suggesting this, but Dakota Fanning has proven that 1) she can act very well and 2) she can look pretty creepy. Imagine her with a red-eyed glare, saying almost nothing. Shudder. But I'm making the call out of ignorance, so it's not necessarily my ideal casting.
I really hope that this film gets made, and that it ends up being one of the most kick-ass sci-fi movies ever made. If you agree with my choices and know someone in the film's production team (or are in it yourself), then I hope you help make this dream cast a reality.
Friday, December 15, 2006
64th Golden Globe Award Nominations
This is, in my opinion, one of the best lineups I've seen out of the HFPA nominations. I just love the surprises (comments below)! Here are the nominees (with results of my predictions and some comments):
BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA (3/5)
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen
Bobby's the small surprise (it was always a tough contender), but I haven't seen it yet so I can't comment.
BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA (4/5)
Penelope Cruz (Volver)
Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Sherrybaby)
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Kate Winslet (Little Children)
Maggie squeaks in due to bad reception of Cate Blanchett's The Good German. Lucky her.
BEST ACTOR - DRAMA (4/5)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Peter O'Toole (Venus)
Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Didn't see that one coming! Just a few days after the BFCA gave double noms for DiCaprio, the HFPA does the same. He so deserves it. Can the Academy do the same? Ken Watanabe's chances are slipping fast with this snub.
BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL (3/5)
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You For Smoking
Yey! The Devil Wears Prada!
BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY/MUSICAL (4/5)
Annette Bening (Running With Scissors)
Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine)
Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls)
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter)
I loved Toni Collette in Little Miss Sunshine. Kudos to the HFPA for nominating her instead of [slightly] overrated Abigail Breslin!
BEST ACTOR - COMEDY/MUSICAL (4/5)
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots)
Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)
The snub of Jamie Foxx isn't at all a surprise. Should have thought of Ejiofor. Cohen is taking this, for sure.
BEST DIRECTOR (3/5)
Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers)
Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel)
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
All worthy nominees, with Eastwood scoring double for an artistic feat. But where's Bill Condon? How will this affect his Oscar chances?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (4/5)
Adriana Barraza (Babel)
Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)
Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada)
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
I love the HFPA for nominating Emily Blunt! Hers isn't my favorite supporting turn of the year (so far, it's Kikuchi), but she surely deserves a nod for her scene-stealing turn in Prada. THIS is the lineup that I want to see come Oscar nominations.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (3/5)
Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland)
Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
Brad Pitt (Babel)
Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)
Pity that Michael Sheen didn't make it, but I'm so excited to see that Mark Wahlberg did. Just like Emily Blunt in the ladies' category, Wahlberg stole every scene he was in and truly deserves this. Hopefully it translates into an Oscar nom. Thanks, HFPA, for choosing Affleck and Wahlberg over the [extremely] overrated Alan Arkin!
BEST SCREENPLAY (2/5)
Babel
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Queen
The biggest surprise is probably the exclusion of Little Miss Sunshine, but the Academy has two categories for screenplay, so no one will lose sleep over it.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (4/5)
Apocalypto
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
After snubbing The Passion of the Christ two years ago, the HFPA opts for a bloodier Mel Gibson epic. Pretty expectable lineup, though I had predicted Curse of the Golden Flower (the HFPA loves Chinese martial arts epics) instead of Apocalypto.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (no predictions)
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (1/5)
The Painted Veil
The Fountain
Babel
Nomad
The Da Vinci Code
Wow, I got 1 out of 5. Biggest surprise is probably the exclusion of the score for Notes on a Scandal.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG (2/5)
"A Father's Way" (The Pursuit of Happyness)
"Listen" (Dreamgirls)
"Never Gonna Break My Faith" (Bobby)
"The Song of the Heart" (Happy Feet)
"Try Not to Remember" (Home of the Brave)
Most notable snub: Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up" (from An Inconvenient Truth).
Post-Golden Globe nominations predictions will be up soon.
On a quick TV noms note: I'm happy that Heroes and its star Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) are nominated in the Best TV Series - Drama and Best Supporting Actor categories, respectively.
BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA (3/5)
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen
Bobby's the small surprise (it was always a tough contender), but I haven't seen it yet so I can't comment.
BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA (4/5)
Penelope Cruz (Volver)
Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Sherrybaby)
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Kate Winslet (Little Children)
Maggie squeaks in due to bad reception of Cate Blanchett's The Good German. Lucky her.
BEST ACTOR - DRAMA (4/5)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Peter O'Toole (Venus)
Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Didn't see that one coming! Just a few days after the BFCA gave double noms for DiCaprio, the HFPA does the same. He so deserves it. Can the Academy do the same? Ken Watanabe's chances are slipping fast with this snub.
BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL (3/5)
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You For Smoking
Yey! The Devil Wears Prada!
BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY/MUSICAL (4/5)
Annette Bening (Running With Scissors)
Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine)
Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls)
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter)
I loved Toni Collette in Little Miss Sunshine. Kudos to the HFPA for nominating her instead of [slightly] overrated Abigail Breslin!
BEST ACTOR - COMEDY/MUSICAL (4/5)
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Kinky Boots)
Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)
The snub of Jamie Foxx isn't at all a surprise. Should have thought of Ejiofor. Cohen is taking this, for sure.
BEST DIRECTOR (3/5)
Clint Eastwood (Flags of Our Fathers)
Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel)
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
All worthy nominees, with Eastwood scoring double for an artistic feat. But where's Bill Condon? How will this affect his Oscar chances?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (4/5)
Adriana Barraza (Babel)
Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)
Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada)
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
I love the HFPA for nominating Emily Blunt! Hers isn't my favorite supporting turn of the year (so far, it's Kikuchi), but she surely deserves a nod for her scene-stealing turn in Prada. THIS is the lineup that I want to see come Oscar nominations.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (3/5)
Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland)
Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
Brad Pitt (Babel)
Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)
Pity that Michael Sheen didn't make it, but I'm so excited to see that Mark Wahlberg did. Just like Emily Blunt in the ladies' category, Wahlberg stole every scene he was in and truly deserves this. Hopefully it translates into an Oscar nom. Thanks, HFPA, for choosing Affleck and Wahlberg over the [extremely] overrated Alan Arkin!
BEST SCREENPLAY (2/5)
Babel
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Queen
The biggest surprise is probably the exclusion of Little Miss Sunshine, but the Academy has two categories for screenplay, so no one will lose sleep over it.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (4/5)
Apocalypto
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
After snubbing The Passion of the Christ two years ago, the HFPA opts for a bloodier Mel Gibson epic. Pretty expectable lineup, though I had predicted Curse of the Golden Flower (the HFPA loves Chinese martial arts epics) instead of Apocalypto.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE (no predictions)
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (1/5)
The Painted Veil
The Fountain
Babel
Nomad
The Da Vinci Code
Wow, I got 1 out of 5. Biggest surprise is probably the exclusion of the score for Notes on a Scandal.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG (2/5)
"A Father's Way" (The Pursuit of Happyness)
"Listen" (Dreamgirls)
"Never Gonna Break My Faith" (Bobby)
"The Song of the Heart" (Happy Feet)
"Try Not to Remember" (Home of the Brave)
Most notable snub: Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up" (from An Inconvenient Truth).
Post-Golden Globe nominations predictions will be up soon.
On a quick TV noms note: I'm happy that Heroes and its star Masi Oka (Hiro Nakamura) are nominated in the Best TV Series - Drama and Best Supporting Actor categories, respectively.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Review: Little Miss Sunshine
My opinions haven't shifted so much in one run of a movie as they had when I watched Little Miss Sunshine. Though I've been misled before by all the hype from critics (I did not care for Lost in Translation AT ALL), I was ready to love this film and be an advocate of its uphill Oscar campaign. Ten minutes into the film, however, I was ready to hate it and declare it overrated; I found Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin (more on him later), and even everyone's darling Abigail Breslin extremely annoying, with only Toni Collette and Steve Carell making those parts remotely tolerable. What flawed characters! How could anyone love this movie?That bus does have magic, doesn't it? As soon as their trip to the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant started on that protesting yellow machine, the character flaws suddenly breathed life into what could have been a completely infuriating movie. The poster shows the characters running to get into the bus, and those moments are truly the most special in the film, for all that it says. There is no doubt that a great ensemble was formed for this movie; their chemistry is organic. There is something endearing in seeing this family on the verge of a breakdown trying not to fall that way but not trying too hard. The ending of the film, with less resolutions than more conventional films have, left me baffled at first, but then I realized that had all the loose ends been tied neatly, all the charm that the movie has would have been for naught.
Abigail Breslin is as charming as other reviews say she is, though I'm still not convinced of her shot at a nomination. I'm much less amenable to the idea of Alan Arkin being nominated (which is seeming to be an even bigger certainty than a nod for Breslin). He has certain touching moments (as when he comforts his son, played by Kinnear, after an upsetting event), but there is nothing remotely special about his short performance (other than being a nutcase with a soft heart for his grandchild) that would warrant all the praise and attention. Come on, are we just being sentimental? If any actor in that ensemble deserves a Supporting Actor nomination, it's Steve Carell, for being natural and deadpan in his delivery of an acerbic yet very caring Proust scholar learning to cope with life's mishaps.
It's no doubt a good film, though I've seen a lot this year that have captivated and drawn me much more. FYC in all the categories that they're campaigning for, except for Arkin. Grade: B+
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Golden Globe Predictions
Updated Golden Globe predictions:
BEST MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA
Babel
The Departed
Flags of Our Fathers
The Good German
The Queen
BEST MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Dreamgirls
For Your Consideration
Little Miss Sunshine
Stranger Than Fiction
BEST DIRECTOR
Pedro Almodovar (Volver)
Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
BEST ACTOR-DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Peter O'Toole (Venus)
Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
BEST ACTOR-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking)
Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls)
Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)
BEST ACTRESS-DRAMA
Cate Blanchett (The Good German)
Penelope Cruz (Volver)
Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Kate Winslet (Little Children)
BEST ACTRESS-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Annette Bening (Running With Scissors)
Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls)
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
Brad Pitt (Babel)
Michael Sheen (The Queen)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)
Emma Thompson (Stranger Than Fiction)
BEST SCREENPLAY
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Stranger Than Fiction
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Curse of the Golden Flower
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Babel
The Departed
The Good German
Letters from Iwo Jima
Notes on a Scandal
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"I Need to Wake Up" (An Inconvenient Truth)
"Keep Holding On" (Eragon)
"Listen" (Dreamgirls)
"Never Gonna Break My Faith" (Bobby)
"You Know My Name" (Casino Royale)
BEST MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA
Babel
The Departed
Flags of Our Fathers
The Good German
The Queen
BEST MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Dreamgirls
For Your Consideration
Little Miss Sunshine
Stranger Than Fiction
BEST DIRECTOR
Pedro Almodovar (Volver)
Bill Condon (Dreamgirls)
Clint Eastwood (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Stephen Frears (The Queen)
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
BEST ACTOR-DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Peter O'Toole (Venus)
Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima)
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
BEST ACTOR-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest)
Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking)
Jamie Foxx (Dreamgirls)
Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)
BEST ACTRESS-DRAMA
Cate Blanchett (The Good German)
Penelope Cruz (Volver)
Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Kate Winslet (Little Children)
BEST ACTRESS-COMEDY/MUSICAL
Annette Bening (Running With Scissors)
Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Beyonce Knowles (Dreamgirls)
Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada)
Renee Zellweger (Miss Potter)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Jack Nicholson (The Departed)
Brad Pitt (Babel)
Michael Sheen (The Queen)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal)
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration)
Emma Thompson (Stranger Than Fiction)
BEST SCREENPLAY
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Stranger Than Fiction
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Curse of the Golden Flower
Letters from Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Babel
The Departed
The Good German
Letters from Iwo Jima
Notes on a Scandal
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"I Need to Wake Up" (An Inconvenient Truth)
"Keep Holding On" (Eragon)
"Listen" (Dreamgirls)
"Never Gonna Break My Faith" (Bobby)
"You Know My Name" (Casino Royale)
Prediction updates soon
Updates to predictions will come after the Golden Globe nominations are announced, to reflect those, the National Board of Review wins, noms from LA and NY critics and the BFCA, and eligibility lists (e.g. for Best Original Song).
Eligible Songs for Best Original Song Oscar
See the full, official list here.
Now that "O Kazakshtan" is an official contender, I'm seeing it as a potential nominee. Seriously.
Now that "O Kazakshtan" is an official contender, I'm seeing it as a potential nominee. Seriously.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Mini-Reviews
An Inconvenient TruthAs would probably be expected, there are shots of Al Gore's campaign for the presidency and loss to George Bush in the environmental documentary An Inconvenient Truth, but the approach does not across as being tasteless (except to die-hard Republicans, perhaps). Said scenes juxtapose well with the main theme of the film, which of course is global warming, and they make the viewer wonder how different the state of the environment would be had the U.S. elected the other candidate. Gore presents his case and call for change strongly, with data that would satisfy most in the scientific field and that many that are not would be able to understand. This is definitely the type of documentary that everyone, without exception, should see. Grade: A
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
Before Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Chinese director Zhang Yimou turned in subdued and meek yet still spectacular dramas (usually with Gong Li), like Raise the Red Lantern. Qian li zou dan qi (Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles) is not really a return to form in that sense (it can definitely be argued that Zhang never left it anyway), but the film has the quiet, subtle touches of art-house favorites. It's not as heart-stirring or powerful as many of Zhang's other films, but it is probably there wherein the film's strength lies; it deftly handles the characters' drama without being overly dramatic. Grade: B+
BabelBabel is often compared with last year's Oscar champ Crash, but they are ultimately two different beings. The latter is more cohesive, with a near-seamless and unforced connection between the lives of its characters (it helps that they're all in the U.S.). Those connections are much more artificial in Babel. There are also some characters and issues carelessly tossed aside throughout the length of the film. Still, like Crash, it is a strong ensemble with pitch-perfect performances from everyone, standouts being Brad Pitt and Rinko Kikuchi. The score and cinematography are similarly top-notch. Grade: B+
The Nativity StoryEarly reviews of The Nativity Story as nothing more than a glorified High School nativity drama are justified. This vapid and flat film has the look and feel of a cheap nativity pageant, complete with white-robed angel and word-per-word copying of key Bible dialogue. Scenes that should have been powerful, such as the annunciation, are inconsequential, and additions (such as the river scene where pregnant Mary and Joseph almost drown) are forced and hold no significant meaning. Keisha Castle-Hughes is even more lifeless than the film itself, giving a performance unworthy of a former Oscar nominee and of the potential richness of the role as the mother of Christ. Some good things about the film: Oscar Isaac's and Ciaran Hinds's performances as Joseph and King Herod, respectively; and the dwelling on the issue of Mary's purity in the eyes of her village. Grade: C
Images from IMDb
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Peter Jackson: A Retrospective
When it was first announced that Kiwi director Peter Jackson would be directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, many were surprised. Quite understandably so. He had shown his directing and writing talent in Heavenly Creatures (for which he and Fran Walsh got an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay) and his ability to handle a visual effects-heavy film with The Frighteners, but film buffs knew that he had his roots in less mainstream fare that had audiences cringing. His first feature-length film as a director, Bad Taste, shares qualities with his next two projects, Meet the Feebles and Braindead (aka Dead Alive): they are, yes, tasteless (this viewer finds it difficult to think of a more gratuitously gory film than Braindead), but the signs of a cinematic genius are already there. Jackson's narrative skill and attention to detail are evident (though the former takes a backseat to violence in Braindead), and of course his use of prosthetics and puppetry in all three films (particularly in Meet the Feebles, a sick, twisted yet diabolically brilliant film with its entire cast made of animal puppets or costumes) would have prepared him for the epic technical achievement that is LOTR. In fact, he goes a long way back with many of the trilogy's now-famous technical staff, including editor Jamie Selkirk, effects guru Richard Taylor, and of course partner Walsh. It was an extremely gratifying experience to sit through his first three, lesser known creations, bask in his creative genius, cringe with disgust and horror with his excesses, and simply understand a little bit more how the mind behind the best film trilogy of all time works.
Bad Taste (1987): B; Meet the Feebles (1989): B+; Braindead (1992): C+; Heavenly Creatures (1994): B; The Frighteners (1996): C+; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): A; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002): A; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003): A; King Kong (2005): A
Bad Taste (1987): B; Meet the Feebles (1989): B+; Braindead (1992): C+; Heavenly Creatures (1994): B; The Frighteners (1996): C+; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): A; The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002): A; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003): A; King Kong (2005): A
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