Go See: Lincoln

As you may have noticed, all of my postings lately are about what to see because, hey, I've been doing my homework.  Every year I have a contest with myself to see how many oscar-nominated films I can actually see before the bloody show and every year I fail miserably.  However, this year, it's looking good for me.  And yes, I do realize that I am speaking about myself as two people.  It's okay, I accept that about myself.  But enough about me...go see "Lincoln". It's Spielberg.  It's Daniel Day-Lewis and you will become transfixed with the transformed Day-Lewis who really, truly does look like President Lincoln.  You believe that this is truly how Lincoln was back in the day.  Wow, wow, wow. 

It was a great cast with amazing performances by Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, Sally Field as Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, David Straitharn as William Seward, James Spader who was freaking hilarious as W.N. Bilbo, John Hawkes as Robert Latham, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as Robert Lincoln, Hal Holbrook as Preston Blair, Lee Pace as Fernando Wood (who might I say does a british accent quite well - remember him in "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day"?), and Jared Harris (another brit) playing Ulysses S. Grant. 

Here's a bit o' trivia (or I like to call it...gossip!), according to imdb.com:

-Once Daniel Day-Lewis decided on the voice that he would use to portray Lincoln, he sent an audiotape of it to Director Steven Spielberg in a box with a skull & crossbones on it so no one but he would hear it first.

-During the three and a half months of filming, Steven Spielberg addressed his actors in character: he called Daniel Day-Lewis "Mr. President," and Sally Field "Mrs. Lincoln," or "Molly." Additionally, he wore a suit every day on set: "I think I wanted to get into the role, more than anything else, of being part of that experience - because we were recreating a piece of history. And so I didn't want to look like the schlubby, baseball cap wearing 21st century guy; I wanted to be like the cast." 

-After Liam Neeson dropped out, Steven Spielberg returned to his original choice for the titular role, Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis declined because he didn't know if he could play such an iconic role. It was Leonardo DiCaprio who convinced him to take the role after Spielberg told him that Day-Lewis declined. It is unknown how DiCaprio convinced Day-Lewis to take the role.

Enjoy!

Go See: Silver Linings Playbook

By now, I'm sure you've heard of that lil' David O. Russell (he directed films such as "The Fighter" and "I Heart Huckabees") film called "Silver Linings Playbook" starring Oscar nominated Bradley Cooper and Oscar nominated Jennifer Lawrence (who just won a Golden Globe for her performance).  Oh and let me just add in six more oscar nominations for Directing, Editing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Robert De Niro and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Jacki Weaver and last but certainly not least, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.  Whew! 

 I will say that this role was a stepping out point for Bradley Cooper.  He was believable, seemed volatile and a bit of a loose cannon.  It was a well cast film that has superb acting in it but will Cooper snatch the Oscar this year?  As much as I wish he would, I honestly believe it will go to Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln".  My two-cents are coming on that film.  Wow.  Oh and here's a little pop-up video trivia, my man-my main man, Chris Tucker is in this film and other than a "Rush Hour" film, this is the first film he's been in since 1997.  (Thanks, imdb.com for that!) Enjoy! 

Go See: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Wow. My first initial reaction after seeing "Beasts of the Southern Wild" was...whoa, literally, as it was shot quite a bit on a steadycam and I get motion sickness after awhile.  But I endured and it was worth it.  This film is not for the light-hearted, it's gritty, harsh and what I would imagine very real for those who lived through and survived Hurricane Katrina.  And now with two Oscar nominations - that's enough buzz for me to be intrigued.  And to top it off - everyone is an unknown.

Who's the director?  Benh Zeitlin.  Who's that, you ask?  He's this young dude from Queens who graduated from Wesleyan University, who made a few short films then put together this feature length film after living in Louisiana for awhile.  What were his thoughts on filming in the south?  He said, "There are funny stories about [the making of "Beasts"] how I went knocking on someone's door and he came out with a shotgun. Even then, that guy showed up at our gas station two days later, and was like, "I'm sorry. I thought you guys were trying to kill me or you're from Witness Protection or something like that. I didn't mean to scare you. You want any red fish?" He'd just caught a bunch. You get real hospitality in Louisiana. I think it'd be much harder in another place because the state is extremely open and a more accepting, hospitable place."

And then there's the little budding actress, Quvenzhane Wallis (who is now the youngest ever to be nominated for an Oscar).  What was it like for Zeitlin to direct her? He says, "She was so focused and poised and just was fierce. She wouldn't do just what I told her to do, she questioned what I was saying. She'd say, 'I don't like this word' and she'd delete it. I allowed her to own the words and understand what they meant."

Her father is played by Dwight Henry who you despise then feel empathy for.  He makes you remember how hard his life is living in the hurricane ridden land of what he calls his home.  "They contemplated bringing in professional actors from New York or California to do my role, but they wouldn't have brought the passion to the film as someone who went through this on a regular basis. I was in Hurricane Katrina in neck-high water. I have an inside understanding for what this movie is about. I brought a passion to the part that an outside actor who had never seen a storm or been in a flood or faced losing everything could have," said Henry.

 

And the 2013 Oscar Nominations Are...

...just announced by host Seth McFarlane and Emma Stone.  Here are the 85th Academy Award nominations.  (Wow, I have more screening homework to do!)

Stay tuned for the show on February 24th.

1. Best Picture: "Amour," "Argo," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Django Unchained," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty."

2. Actor: Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"; Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"; Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"; Denzel Washington, "Flight."

3. Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"; Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Naomi Watts, "The Impossible."

4. Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Argo"; Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"; Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"; Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "The Master"; Sally Field, "Lincoln"; Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"; Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"; Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook."

6. Directing: Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"; Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."

7. Foreign Language Film: "Amour," Austria; "Kon-Tiki," Norway; "No," Chile; "A Royal Affair," Denmark; "War Witch," Canada.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, "Argo"; Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; David Magee, "Life of Pi"; Tony Kushner, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."

9. Original Screenplay: Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"; John Gatins, "Flight"; Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, "Moonrise Kingdom"; Mark Boal, "Zero Dark Thirty."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Brave"; "Frankenweenie"; "ParaNorman"; "The Pirates! Band of Misfits"; "Wreck-It Ralph."

11. Production Design: "Anna Karenina," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln."

12. Cinematography: "Anna Karenina," "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Skyfall."

13. Sound Mixing: "Argo," "Les Miserables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Skyfall."

14. Sound Editing: "Argo," "Django Unchained," "Life of Pi," "Skyfall," "Zero Dark Thirty."

15. Original Score: "Anna Karenina," Dario Marianelli; "Argo," Alexandre Desplat; "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna; "Lincoln," John Williams; "Skyfall," Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice," J. Ralph; "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from "Ted," Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane; "Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri; "Skyfall" from "Skyfall," Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth; "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables," Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil.

17. Costume: "Anna Karenina," "Les Miserables," "Lincoln," "Mirror Mirror," "Snow White and the Huntsman."

18. Documentary Feature: "5 Broken Cameras," "The Gatekeepers," "How to Survive a Plague," "The Invisible War," "Searching for Sugar Man."

19. Documentary (short subject): "Inocente," "Kings Point," "Mondays at Racine," "Open Heart," "Redemption."

20. Film Editing: "Argo," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty."

21. Makeup and Hairstyling: "Hitchcock," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Les Miserables."

22. Animated Short Film: "Adam and Dog," "Fresh Guacamole," "Head over Heels," "Maggie Simpson in `The Longest Daycare,'" "Paperman."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Asad," "Buzkashi Boys," "Curfew," "Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)," "Henry."

24. Visual Effects: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Life of Pi," "Marvel's The Avengers," "Prometheus," "Snow White and the Huntsman."