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regardingsara · 4 years

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Oscar predictions

Best picture

1917

Ford V. Ferrary

Jojo Rabit

Joker

Little women

Marriage story

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Parasite

The Irishman

Best director

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Sam Mendes, 1917

Todd Phillips, Joker

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino, Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Best actor

Taron Egerton, Rocketman

Christian Bale, Ford v. Ferrari

Leonardo Di Caprio, Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Adam Driver, Marriage story

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best actress

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage story

Lupita Nyong’o, Us

Saoirse Ronan, Little women

Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Renee Zellweger, Judy

Supporting actor

Tom Hanks, A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Anthony Hopkins, The two popes

Al Pacino, The Irishman

Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Brad Pitt, Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Supporting actress

Laura Dern, Marriage story

Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit

Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

Florence Pugh, Little Women

Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Original screenplay

Booksmart

Knives out

Marriage story

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Parasite

Adapted screenplay

Jojo rabbit

Joker

Little women

The Irishman

The two popes

International film

Atlantics

Honeyland

Les Misérables

Pain and glory

Parasite

Animated feature

Frozen II

How to train your dragon: The hidden world

I lost my body

Missing Link

Toy story 4

Documentary

American factory

Apollo 11

For Sama

The cave

One child nation

Live action short

The Christmas gift

Little hands

Refugee

Saria

A sister

Animated short

Hair love

He can’t live without cosmos

Kitbull

The physics of sorrow

Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the days

Documentary short

Ghosts of Sugar Land

In The Absens

Learning to skateboard in a Warzone (If you’re a girl)

St. Louis Superman

Stay close

Score

1917

Joker

Little women

Marriage story

Star wars: The rise of Skywalker

Song

“Spirit” from The Lion King

“Into the unknown” from Frozen II

“Stand up” from Harriet

“Glasglow” from Wild rose

“(I’m gonna) Love me again” from Rocketman

Editing

1917

Ford v. Ferrari

The Irishman

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Parasite

Sound mixing

Ford v. Ferrari

Joker

Rocketman

Star wars: The rise of Skywalker

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Sound editing

1917

Joker

Ford v. Ferrari

Rocketman

Star wars: The rise of Skywalker

Cinematography

1917

Ford v. Ferrari

The Irishman

Joker

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Costume design

Once upon a time… in Hollywood

Jojo Rabbit

Little women

Dolemite is my name

Rocketman

Make up and hairstyling

Bombshell

Dolemite is my name

Joker

Judy

Rocketman

Production design

1917

Joker

Once upon a time.. in Hollywood

Parasite

The Irishman

Visual Effects

1917

Avengers: Endgame

The lion king

The Irishman

Star wars: The rise of Skywalker

#oscar predictions

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regardingsara · 5 years

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2019 Oscar Predictions

Best picture

· Will win: Roma

· Could win: A Star is Born

· My pick: A Star is Born

Best director

· Will win: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

· Could win: Spike Lee, BlackKklansman

· My pick: from the nominees? Spike Lee. In my heart? Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born. I’ll die on this hill.

Best actor

· Will win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

· Could win: Christian Bale, Vice

· My pick: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

Best actress

· Will win: Glenn Close, The Wife

· Could win: Olivia Colman, The favourite

· My pick: Olivia Colman, The favourite

Best supporting actor

· Will win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book

· Could win: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

· My pick: Adam Driver, BlackKklansman

Best supporting actress

· Will win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

· Could win: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

· My pick: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Best original screenplay

· Will win: The Favourite

· Could win: First Reformed

· My pick: The Favourite

Best adapted screenplay

· Will win: Can You Ever Forgive Me?

· Could win: BlackKklansman

· My pick: BlackKklansman

Best foreign language film

· Will win: Roma

· Could win: Cold War

· My pick: Cold War

Best documentary film

· Will win: Free Solo

· Could win: Minding the Gap

Best animated film

· Will win: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

· Could win: Incredibles II

· My pick: Isle of Dogs

Best live action short

· Will win: Marguerite

· Could win: Skin

Best animated short

· Will win: Bao

· Could win: Weekends

· My pick: Bao

Best documentary short

· Will win: Period. End of Sentence.

· Could win: Endgame

Best original score

· Will win: If Beale Street Could Talk

· Could win: Isle of Dogs

· My pick: from the nominees? Isle of Dogs. In my heart? First Man

Best original song

· Will win: “Shallow” from A Star is Born

· Could win: LOL

· My pick: “Shallow” from A Star is Born

Best sound mixig

· Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

· Could win: First Man

· My pick: First Man

Best sound editing

· Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

· Could win: First Man

· My pick: First Man

Best editing

· Will win: The Favourite

· Could win: Vice

· My pick: BlacKklansmam

Best cinematography

· Will win: Roma

· Could win: Cold War

· My pick: Cold War

Best makeup and hairstyling

· Will win: Vice

· Could win: Mary, Queen of Scotts

Best costume design

· Will win: The Favourite

· Could win: Black Panther

· My pick: The Favourite

Best production design

· Will win: The Favourite

· Could win: Black Panther

· My pick: First Man

Best visual effects

· Will win: Avengers: Infinity War

· Could win: First Man

· My pick: First Man

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regardingsara · 5 years

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2019 Oscar predictions

As per usual, at the eleventh hour, here are my Oscar predictions:

Best picture

A star is born

Black panther

Blackkklansman

Bohemian Rhapsody

Green book

If Beale Street could talk

Roma

The favourite

Best director

Bradley Cooper, A star is born

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Yorgos Lanthimos, The favourite

Adam McKay, Vice

Spike Lee, BlackKklansman

Best actor

Christian Bale, Vice

Bradley Cooper, A star is born

Ethan Hawke, First reformed

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Best actress

Toni Collette, Hereditary

Olivia Colman, The favourite

Glenn Close, The wife

Lady Gaga, A star is born

Melissa McCarthy, Can you ever forgive me?

Best supporting actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful boy

Adam Driver, BlackKklansman

Sam Elliot, A star is born

Richard E. Grant, Can you ever forgive me?

Best supporting actress

Amy Adams, Vice

Claire Foy, First man

Regina King, If Beale Street could talk

Emma Stone, The favourite

Rachel Weisz, The favourite

Best original screenplay

First reformed

Green book

Roma

The favourite

Vice

Best adapted screenplay

A star is born

Black Panther

BlackKlansman

Can you ever forgive me?

If Beale Street could talk

Best foreign language film

Burning

Cold War

Capernaum

Roma

Shoplifters

Best documentary feature

Free Solo

Hale County this morning, this evening

Minding the gap

Shirkers

Won’t you be my neighbor?

Best animated feature

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch

Incredibles 2

Isle of dogs

Ralph breaks the internet

Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse

Best live action short

Caroline

Chuchotage

Icare

Mother

Wale

Best animated short

Age of sail

Bao

Bird Karma

Lost & found

Weekends

Best documentary short

Black sheep

Lifeboat

Los commandos

My dead dad’s porno tapes

Zion

Best original score

Black Panther

First man

If Beale Street could talk

Isle of dogs

Mary Poppins returns

Best original song

“Shallow” from A star is born

“All the stars” from Black Panther

“Revelation” from Boy erased

“Girl in the movies” from Dumplin’

“Trip a little light fantastic” from Mary Poppins returns

Best cinematography

A star is born

Cold War

First man

Roma

The favourite

Best film editing

A star is born

First man

Roma

The favourite

Vice

Best sound mixing

A quiet place

A star is born

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

First man

Best sound editing

A quiet place

Black Panther

First Man

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Roma

Best costume design

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

The favourite

Mary Poppins returns

Mary, Queen of Scots

Best production design

Black Panther

The favourite

First man

Mary Poppins returns

Roma

Best hair and makeup

Bohemian rhapsody

Mary, Queen of Scots

Vice

Best visual effects

Avengers: Infiniy war

Black Panther

First man

Mary Poppins returns

Ready player one

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regardingsara · 6 years

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2018 Oscar Predictions

Best picture

· Will win: The shape of water

· Could win: Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· My pick: The shape of water

This is basically a two-way race between The shape of water and Three billboards. Some people are also throwing Get out into the mix. Sweet summer children. As much as I would love to see that happening, I just don't think it's very likely. So let's examine the strengths and weaknesses of our two main contenders. Three billboards won SAG Ensemble and the BAFTA for Best Film, which means it has the support of the acting branch and the British block, which comprise a large portion of the Academy. But it is also a controversial (in my opinion, undeservingly so) and divisive film, and those don't tend to do well in a preferential ballot. It doesn't help that director Martin McDonagh wasn't nominated for Best Director. The shape of water won PGA and DGA, two of the three guild awards that most strongly correlate with a Best Picture Oscar. PGA is particularly significant because it uses the same preferential ballot system that the Academy uses. But it wasn't nominated for the third of those guild awards, the SAG, where Three billboards prevailed. Last year, La La Land won PGA and DGA but wasn't nominated for SAG Ensemble, and we all know how THAT turned out. However, Moonlight, the film that did win, was not divisive at all. So, taking into account how BOTH films would likely perform in a preferential ballot, I'm going with The shape of water. It's a pretty even race and I would be disappointed, but not shocked, to be wrong.

Best director

· Will win: Guillermo del Toro, The shape of water

· Could win: Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

· My pick: Guillermo del Toro, The shape of water

Best actor

· Will win: Gary Oldman, Darkest hour

· Could win: Timothée Chalamet, Call me by your name

· My pick: Gary Oldman, Darkest hour

A lot of people are aware that Gary Oldman is winning this because he's overdue, but I don't think enough people are acknowledging that his performance is an all-timer. He does a great job at acting through the make up, he carries the film, and he elevates it.

Best actress

· Will win: Frances McDormand, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· Could win: Sally Hawkins, The shape of water

· My pick: Sally Hawkins, The shape of water

For the past couple of years or so I have worked with a child who, like Sally Hawkin's character in The shape of water, is non-verbal, but not hearing impaired. It is a blessing that he can hear me because after all this time I've mastered less than 30 signs. I'd like to point that out because being fluent in sign language isn't easy and I don't think enough credit is being given to Sally Hawkins for that. What doesn't need to be pointed out is that despite being deprived of the use of her voice, her performance is impeccable. Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird because after seeing her playing such a mature character in Brooklyn, I didn't think I would buy her as a teenager, and yet she nails it. Between Lady Bird and Loving Vincent, she really blew me away this year, and I can't wait to see what she does next. McDormand gets the job done as usual, but the screenplay doesn't give her much to play besides anger.

Best supporting actor

· Will win: Sam Rockwell, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· Could win: Willem Dafoe, The Florida project

· My pick: Woody Harrelson, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

For the first time ever, the Golden Globes, Critics' choice, SAG and BAFTA have agreed on all of the acting nominees, so that means that Oscars will probably agree as well. So far, the 'could win' part of the acting predictions have been a mere exercise in wishful thinking. But, since such consistency among award bodies is unprecedented, I think that the Oscars could be the ones to provide the statistical anomaly. Of all the acting frontrunners, I think Sam Rockwell is the most vulnerable one, because what people find problematic about Three billboards is precisely Rockwell's character. Harrelson is the one who more successfully builds a whole character, and he shines in his limited screen time.

Best supporting actress

· Will win: Allison Janney, I, Tonya

· Could win: Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

· My pick: Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

It was tough picking between Metcalf and Blige. After all, Lady Bird lives and breathes on the relationship between Metcalf and Ronan's characters, but Blige conveys so much within the restraint that her character demands of her and she holds her own among an ensemble of greats.

Best original screenplay

· Will win: Get out

· Could win: Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· My pick: Get out

Get out is not perfect, it has its flaws. They have been pointed out to me, and I acknowledge them, and they lie in the screenplay. But none of those flaws have prevented me from getting completely immersed in the story. It helps that the screenplay is so rich in details and it demands your full attention. Three billboards is an interesting story that goes to unexpected places, but it falls short on character development.

Best adapted screenplay

· Will win: Call me by your name

· Could win: Molly's game

· My pick: Mudbound

Best foreign language film

· Will win: A fantastic woman

· Could win: The Square

Best documentary feature

· Will win: Faces places

· Could win: Abacus: Small enough to jail

Best animated feature

· Will win: Coco

· Could win: The breadwinner

· My pick: Loving Vincent

I love Pixar movies as much as the next person, but Loving Vincent is such a special, beautifully made animation gem. Unlikely as it may be, I would absolutely love to see it win.

Best live action short

· Will win: DeKalb Elementary

· Could win: The silent child

With no precursors for this category and little availability of the nominated works, any prediction here is merely an educated guess. Delkab Elementary, about a school shooting, tackles a timely subject that was all over the news during Oscar voting week, which I think will help it.

Best documentary short

· Will win: Edith + Eddie

· Could win: Heaven is a traffic jam on the 405

Best animated short

· Will win: Dear basketball

· Could win: Negative space

Best original score

· Will win: The shape of water

· Could win: Phantom thread

· My pick: Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best original song

· Will win: "Remember me" from Coco

· Could win: "This is me" from The greatest showman

· My pick: "Mystery of love" from Call me by your name

Best sound editing + Best sound mixing

· Will win: Dunkirk

· Could win: Baby driver

Best cinematography

· Will win: Blade runner 2049

· Could win: The shape of water

· My pick: Blade runner 2049

Best film editing

· Will win: Dunkirk

· Could win: Baby driver

Best production design

· Will win: The shape of water

· Could win: Blade runner 2049

· My pick: The shape of water

Best costume design

· Will win: Phantom thread

· Could win: Beauty and the Beast

Best make up and hairstyling

· Will win: Darkest hour

· Could win: Wonder

· My pick: Darkest hour

Best visual effects

· Will win: Blade Runner 2049

· Could win: War for the Planet of the Apes

· My pick: War for the Planet of the Apes

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regardingsara · 6 years

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2018 Oscar nomination predictions

Best picture

· Call me by your name

· Dunkirk

· Get out

· Lady Bird

· The big sick

· The Florida project

· The Post

· The shape of water

· Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best director

· Guillermo del Toro, The shape of water

· Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

· Martin McDonagh, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

· Jordan Peele, Get out

I went for the 5 DGA nominees, although DGA and Oscar rarely match 5 for 5, because I can't think of any other director who could sneak in. But the director's branch has been known to do crazy things, so I wouldn't be surprised if Steven Spielberg ends up replacing either Nolan or Peele.

Best actor in a leading role

· Timothée Chalamet, Call me by your name

· Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom thread

· James Franco, The disaster artist

· Daniel Kaluuya, Get out

· Gary Oldman, Darkest hour

Best actress in a leading role

· Sally Hawkins, The shape of water

· Frances McDormand, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

· Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

· Meryl Streep, The Post

Best actor in a supporting role

· Willem Dafoe, The Florida project

· Armie Hammer, Call me by your name

· Woody Harrelson, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

· Richard Jenkins, The shape of water

· Sam Rockwell, Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best actress in a supporting role

· Betty Gabriel, Get out

· Holly Hunter, The big sick

· Allison Janney, I, Tonya

· Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

· Octavia Spencer, The shape of water

Betty Gabriel is my 'no guts, no glory' prediction because I have a very strong feeling that Mudbound is going to underperform and Mary J. Blige isn't safe, but of course, she would be the safe bet.

Best adapted screenplay

· The disaster artist

· Call me by your name

· Molly's game

· Mudbound

· Logan

Best original screenplay

· The big sick

· Get out

· Lady Brd

· The shape of water

· Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best foreign language film

· A fantastic woman (Chile)

· In the fade (Germany)

· Foxtrot (Israel)

· Loveless (Russia)

· The square (Sweeden)

Best documentary feature

· Chasing coral

· City of Ghosts

· Faces places

· Icarus

· Jane

Best animated feature

· The boss baby

· The breadwinner

· Coco

· The LEGO Batman moovie

· Loving Vincent

Best documentary short

· Alone

· Edith + Eddie

· Heaven is a traffic jam on the 405

· Heroin(e)

· Ten meter tower

Best animated short

· Cradle

· Dear basketball

· Lou

· Negative space

· Revolting Rhymes

Best original score

· Darkest hour

· Dunkirk

· Phantom thread

· The shape of water

· The Post

Best original song

· "Remember me" from Coco

· "This is me" from The greatest showman

· "Mystery of love" from Call me by your name

· "Stand up for something" from Marshal

· "Mighty River" from Mudbound

Best sound mixing

· Baby driver

· Dunkirk

· Star wars: The last jedi

· The shape of water

· Wonder woman

Best sound editing

· Baby driver

· Blade runner 2049

· Dunkirk

· The shape of water

· Star wars: The last jedi

Best production design

· Beauty and the beast

· Blade runner 2049

· Darkest hour

· Murder on the Orient Express

· The shape of water

Best makeup and hairstyling

· Darkest hour

· I, Tonya

· Wonder

Best cinematography

· Blade runner 2049

· Dunkirk

· The shape of water

· Mudbound

· Darkest hour

Best editing

· Baby driver

· Blade runner 2049

· Dunkirk

· The shape of water

· Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best visual effects

· Blade runner 2049

· Dunkirk

· Kong: Skull Island

· Star wars: The last jedi

· War for the planet of the apes

Best costume design

· Beauty and the Beast

· Blade runner 2049

· Phantom thread

· The shape of water

· Wonder woman

I abstained from predicting the live short films because really, your guess is as good as mine.

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regardingsara · 6 years

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Sara’s favorite films of 2017

It's that time of the year again! The time when I emerge from my cave after months of not blogging, to help you navigate end-of-year-reviews and awards season. And what a film year this has been! Superhero, period, comedy, action and romance are all represented among the best films of the year in most lists, including this humble blogger's. The quality was also well spread throughout the year, as opposed to other years when the first nine months lack good offerings and the last three spit them out at a rate that's difficult to keep up with. In fact, a lot of movies on my list came out in the first half of the year, which has given me the opportunity to revisit them and confirm how much I enjoy them. The end of the year brought a lot of movies that I still hope to see: A ghost story, I, Tonya, Call me by your name, The killing of a sacred deer, Phantom thread, The Florida project, The disaster artist, In the fade, and Film stars don't die in Liverpool. So, my personal end-of-year list is still subject to change. Hell, even if I watched nothing else from 2017, my top 4 is in a constant flux, and what is my favorite film today may not be my favorite film tomorrow. And boy, do I have thoughts on this films, but I also have a job and a household that take a lot of my time, so for the time being, the list is presented without commentary. Hopefully this will change soon, but I wanted to make sure, unlike last year, to post this list before January slips through my fingers. So, without further ado, here it is: my 10 favorite movies of 2017.

10. Blade Runner 2049

9. Darkest Hour

8. Lady Bird

7. Mudbound

6. Wonder Woman

5. War for the Planet of the Apes

4. Get Out

3. Dunkirk

2. Loving Vincent

1. The shape of water

#top10movies #the lego batman movie #wind river #Blade Runner 2049 #battle of the sexes #the big sick #wonder woman #get out #war for the planet of the apes #dunkirk #the shape of water #lady bird #mudbound #loving vincent

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regardingsara · 7 years

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Sara’s 2017 Oscar Predictions

Best picture

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Moonlight

· My pick: Arrival

La La Land and Moonlight are good, but not great. But in an underwhelming year in film, these are worthy winners by comparison. Arrival is the one in the bunch that feels like an instant classic.

Best director

· Will win: Damien Chazelle, La La Land

· Could win: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

· My pick: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

Chazelle looks like the surefire winner, but in a time when precursors don't mean the same anymore and the Best Picture/Best Director split is becoming more frequent, there's still hope for Jenkins, who elicited the best acting from a cast ensemble of any film this year.

Best actor

· Will win: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

· Could win: Denzel Washington, Fences

· My pick: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

I've only seen Affleck, Hacksaw Ridge's Garfield and La La Land's Gosling. Gosling brings the charm, but the screenplay doesn't give him much to work with. Between Garfield and Affleck, the latter is the most effective.

Best actress

· Will win: Emma Stone, La La Land

· Could win: Isabelle Huppert, Elle

· My pick: Emma Stone, La La Land

Let me get something out of the way first: anyone following award season knew that this was the most competitive acting category and that two worthy contenders were going to be left out. Arrival's Amy Adams should not have been one of them. And I love Meryl Streep as much as the next person, but her performance in Florence Foster Jenkins was not Oscar worthy, especially over Adams'. When you're Meryl Streep and the heart of your movie is Hugh Grant, you know something's off.

There. Rant over. I have yet to see Loving so I don't have an opinion on Ruth Negga's performance, but Jackie's Natalie Portman, Stone and Huppert all give incredible performances that could not be more different from one another. Any of them would be a worthy winner.

Best supporting actor

· Will win: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

· Could win: Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

· My pick: Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

According to people in the know, this is between Ali and Lion's Dev Patel, but I think if there's anyone who can upset Ali, it's Michael Shannon. He has a habit of being the surprise nomination that no one sees coming, so why couldn't he win in the same manner? Hey, the Cubs won a World Series and Trump won a presidential election, so no Oscar prediction is too crazy by comparison. My pick is Lucas Hedges, who keeps Manchester by the Sea from turning into Sadchester by bringing realness and humor into his character.

Best supporting actress

· Will win: Viola Davis, Fences

· Could win: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea. But not really.

· My pick: Naomie Harris, Moonlight

I have only seen Williams and Harris. Moonlight has the strongest collective acting of any film this year, so it's easy to pick Harris for her portrayal of the different stages of drug addiction.

Best original screenplay

· Will win: Manchester by the Sea

· Could win: La La Land

· My pick: Manchester by the Sea

Even with its great acting, the true strenght of Manchester by the Sea is its writing. It's poised to win this category, but La La Land's screenplay could ride the coattails of the film's success into a win here, which would make it one of the most infuriating upsets of the night.

Best adapted screenplay

· Will win: Moonlight

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Arrival

Arrival is smart without being dense, which makes it very accessible, and it uses its non-linear storytelling for dramatic purposes to great effect. Moonligth will still be a worthy winner on character development alone.

Best animated feature

· Will win: Zootopia

· Could win: Moana

· My pick: Kubo and the two strings

With the Disney campaign machine behind it, its box office success and its timely message about prejudice, Zootopia looks like a textbook Oscar winner. I'd go for Kubo and the two strings, another aesthethic triumph for Laika.

Best foreign language film

· Will win: Toni Erdmann (Germany)

· Could win: The Salesman (Iran)

The Salesman director Asghard Farhadi has declined to attend the Oscars in response of the Muslim ban, which could give the film the notoriety it needs to push past the German critical favorite.

Best documentary feature

· Will win: O.J.: Made in America

· Could win: I am not your negro

Best documentary, short subject

· Will win: The White Helmets

· Could win: 4 1/2 Miles

Best live action short

· Will win: Le femme et le TGV

· Could win: Silent Nights

Best animated short

· Will win: Pearl

· Could win: Piper

Best original score

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Jackie

· My pick: La La Land

I'm glad to see Jackie composer Mica Levi in the line up, after missing out for her eerie work in Under the skin, but as flawed as La La Land is, if there's anything truly magic about it, it's the music.

Best original song

· Will win: "City of Stars" from La La Land

· Could win: "Can't stop the feeling" from Trolls

· My pick: "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land (but in my heart, it's the unsubmitted "A Lovely Night".

So here's the thing about the La La Land songs: "Someone in the crowd" sums up Mia's career ambitions, while "A lovely night" sums up Mia and Seb's courtship. Neither was submitted for nominations. "Audition" is the one I personally enjoy listening to the most, and it has a great emotional resonance, thanks in no small part to Emma Stone's performance, but it makes Mia's aunt sound like a more important part of the story than she really was, given that she was only mentioned one other time in the film. Also, it bothers me that good girl Mia's role model is a self destructive alcoholic. I love "Audition", but I feel songs in this category should be judged not only on quality but also in what they bring to the film. "City of Stars" has weak lyrics but it will win nonetheless.

Best sound editing

· Will win: Hacksaw Ridge

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Hacksaw Ridge

I feel like La La Land might win here solely because most Academy voters don't know the difference between sound editing and sound mixing. We'll see.

Best sound mixing

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Hacksaw Ridge

Best production design

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Hail, Caesar!

La La Land has beautiful backdrops for dance numbers. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has period settings. Hail, Caesar! has both.

Best cinematography

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Moonlight

Best make up and hair styling

· Will win: Star Trek Beyond

· Could win: Suicide Squad

· My pick: Suicide Squad

Best costume design

· Will win: Jackie

· Could win: La La Land

· My pick: Jackie

Best editing

· Will win: La La Land

· Could win: Arrival

· My pick: Moonlight

Best visual effects

· Will win: The Jungle Book

· Could win: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

#oscars #academy awards #la la land #moonlight #arrival #fences #denzel washington #manchester by the sea #casey affleck #viola davis #isabelle huppert #emma stone #elle #jakie #natalie portman #lucas hedges #the jungle book

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regardingsara · 7 years

Text

My 2017 Oscar Nomination Predictions

Best picture

· Arrival

· Fences

· Hacksaw ridge

· Hell or High Water

· Jackie

· La La Land

· Lion

· Manchester By The Sea

· Moonlight

Best director

· Damien Chazelle, La La Land

· Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

· Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea

· David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water

· Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Best actor in a leading role

· Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea

· Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

· Ryan Gosling, La La Land

· Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

· Denzel Washington, Fences

Best actress in a leading role

· Amy Adams, Arrival

· Isabelle Huppert, Elle

· Natalie Portman, Jackie

· Emma Stone, La La Land

· Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best actor in a supporting role

· Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

· Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

· Ben Foster, Hell or High Water

· Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea

· Dev Patel, Lion

Best actress in a supporting role

· Viola Davis, Fences

· Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women

· Naomie Harris, Moonlight

· Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

· Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

Best original screenplay

· 20th Century Women

· Hell or High Water

· La La Land

· Manchester By The Sea

· The Lobster

Best adapted screenplay

· Arrival

· Lion

· Love and Friendship

· Moonlight

· Nocturnal Animals

Best foreign languafe film

· Toni Erdmann

· The Salesman

· A Man Called Ove

· Tanna

· My Life as a Zucchini

Best animated feature

· Finding Dory

· Kubo and the Two Strings

· Moana

· My Life as a Zucchini

· Zootopia

Best documentary feature

· 13th

· Cameraperson

· I Am Not Your Negro

· O.J.: Made in America

· Weiner

Best animated short

· Blind Vaysha

· Pear Cider and Cigarettes

· Pearl

· Piper

· The Head Vanishes

Best original score

· Hell or High Water

· Jackie

· La La Land

· Lion

· Moonlight

Best original song

· "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land

· "City of Stars" from La La Land

· "Can't Stop The Feeling" from Trolls

· "Drive It Like You Stole It" from Sing Street

· "Just Like Fire" from Alice: Through the Looking Glass

Best sound editing

· Arrival

· Deepwater Horizon

· Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

· Hacksaw Ridge

· Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best sound mixing

· Arrival

· Deepwater Horizon

· Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

· Hacksaw Ridge

· La La Land

Best editing

· Arrival

· Hacksaw Ridge

· La La Land

· Manchester By The Sea

· Moonlight

Best cinematography

· Arrival

· Hell or High Water

· Jackie

· La La Land

· Moonlight

Best make up and hair styling

· Florence Foster Jenkins

· Hail, Caesar!

· Star Trek Beyond

Best production design

· Arrival

· Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

· Hail, Caesar!

· Jackie

· La La Land

Best costume design

· Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them

· Florence Foster Jenkins

· Jackie

· La La Land

· Love and Friendship

Best visual effects

· Arrival

· Doctor Strange

· The Jungle Book

· Kubo and the Two Strings

· Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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regardingsara · 8 years

Photo

What I like the most about this photo is the juxtaposition of nature and man-made.

#photography #sunset

0 notes

regardingsara · 8 years

Text

Sara’s Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

Will win: The Revenant

Could win: The Big Short

My pick: Mad Max: Fury Road

It's a three-way race between The Revenant, The Big Short and Spotlight. I personally don't think that The Revenant is Best Picture material and I'm trying to find a logic to predict something else. But while you can make a case for the three movies and dismiss the notion of the "momentum" that The Revenant is enjoying, the latter is still the winner. Why? Because of the bigger picture. Spotlight and The Big Short will likely win one screenplay award each, but they're not really in contention for anything else. Do you really think we'll have a Best Picture winner that only wins one other award? Me neither. The Revenant, on the other hand, is guaranteed to win Director, Actor, Cinematography and whatever other techs Mad Max doesn't take. That sounds more like a Best Picture winner to me.

Best Director

Will win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant

Should win: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

My pick: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller orchestrated a very well made film with a very unique aesthetic and empowering characters. Can González Iñárritu say the same about his film? Not really. "The right actors win Oscars, but for the wrong roles", Katherine Hepburn once said. I believe that it applies to directors as well. Should González Iñárritu be a two-time Oscar winner? Yes, but not for The Revenant. Birdman is still a modern masterpiece. The Revenant is the weak link in an otherwise very consistent filmography.

Fun fact: if González Iñárritu does win, that means that the last the last three Best Director Prizes have gone to Hispanics. Furthermore, it went to an Asian, Ang Lee, the year before that. I'm bringing this up because Hispanics and Asians are represented even less in the film industry than African Americans, and this needs to be acknowledged in the diversity conversation because the people behind the camera are important too.

Best Actor

Will win: Leonardo Di Caprio, The Revenant

Could win: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs. But not really.

My pick: Leonardo Di Caprio, The Revenant

A very solid group. Can't complain much. If it was up to me, Leo would have won for The Wolf of Wall Street, but what matters is that he wins at last.

Best Actress

Will win: Brie Larson, Room

Could win: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn. But not really

Best Supporting Actor

Will win: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Could win: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

My pick: Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Sylvester Stallone is OK, but nothing to write home about. Now, a lot of people think this one is locked and Supporting Actress is open, but I believe it's the other way around. Stallone is the sentimental favorite but he failed to pick up SAG and BAFTA nominations, and that can hurt. Rylance is the critical favorite and BAFTA winner. Now, the fact that Tom Hardy was able to stand out in the Di Caprio show is a testament of his talent. Christian Bale is effective and nothing more.

Best Supporting Actress

Will win: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Could win: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

My pick: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

A lot of people are predicting a Winslet win based on the fact that she won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, but as much as I would like that to be true (I'm a long time Winslet fan), unlike Stallone, who failed to win because he wasn't nominated to begin with, Winslet won when Vikander was nomiated in Lead. Whenever Vikander was placed in Supporting (which she is; don't believe every category fraud rant you read), Vikander prevailed, which means she will be the winner at the Oscars, and a worthy one at that. That won't stop me from always rooting for my girl Kate, though.

Best Original Screenplay

Will win: Spotlight

Could win: Inside Out

My pick: Ex Machina

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will win: The Big Short

Could win: Room

My pick: The Big Short

A very strong field, even without the praised work of Aaron Sorkin in Steve Jobs, but The Big Short stands out for tackling a complicated subject and keeping it accessible, entertaining, respectful and ultimately insightful.

Best Animated Feature

Will win: Inside Out

Could win: Anomalisa

Best Foreign Language Film

Will win: Son of Saul

Could win: Mustang

Best Documentary Feature

Will win: Amy

Could win: The Look of Silence

Best Documentary, Short Subject

Will win: Body Team 12

Could win: Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoa

Best Live Action Short

Will win: Ave Maria

Could win: Shok

Best Animated Short

Will win: Sanjay's Super Team

Could win: World of Tomorrow

Best Original Score

Will win: The Hateful Eight

Could win: Carol

Outside Jennifer Jason Leigh, I found The Hateful Eight to be meh. My pick would have been the unnominated score of Mad Max: Fury Road by Junkie XL, easily the most memorable score of the year.

Best Original Song

Will win: "Writing's on the Wall", from Spectre

Could win: "Simple Song #3", from Youth

My pick: "Manta Ray", from Racing Extintion

As much as I would like to see Lady Gaga win an Oscar, I think her song is the second weakest of the group, only behind the lazy songwriting of "Earned It" ('I love when you call unexpected cause I hate when the moment's expected'? Really?). Sam Smith is an undeniable talent, and his song is up there with the great Bond theme songs. "Simple Song #3" is simply beautiful. But I dare you not to be moved by "Manta Ray".

Best Sound Editing

Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing

Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could win: Bridge of Spies

Best Production Design

Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could win: The Danish Girl

My pick: The Martian

I can't deny the accomplishments Mad Max and The Danish Girl had in terms of production design. The former, for creating the unique post-apocalyptic look that sets the tone of the film; the latter for the impeccably recreating mid-1920's Europe. But I picked The Martian because I was really impressed by the attention to detail in the creation of the Mars hub, how lived in it looked and the effects that Mars weather had in it.

Best Cinematography

Will win: The Revenant

Could win: Mad Max: Fury Road

My pick: The Revenant

The Revenant is not free of flaws, but the cinematography is not one of them. Chivo is not called "Master of Light" for nothing, and The Revenant is beautiful to look at, if nothing else.

Best Make Up and Hairstyling

Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could win: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

Find it odd that I'm predicting The 100 Year Old Man as a possible spoiler to Mad Max? Why not? Sure, The Revenant made sure to highlight Leo's wounds as much as possible, but The 100 Year Old Man has the most make up of all nominees. Certainly, aging the main character over the course of 100 years will stand out against Mad Max's minimalistic hair and make up. It beat up some pretty big movies to make it to the shortlist, and then to the final three. There's no reason to think it can't win just because the film is virtually unheard of.

Best Costume Design

Will win: Cinderella

Could win: Mad Max: Fury Road

My pick: The Danish Girl

The Academy usually judges "best" as "most", and that logic favors the film with the most flamboyant and lavish gowns. That would be Cinderella. It doesn't bode well for the minimal and practical costumes in Mad Max, but that doesn't mean it can't pull an upset. I loved the costumes in The Danish Girl, which not only are beautiful, but are also a critical part of Einar's transformation.

Best Editing

Will win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Could win: The Big Short

Best Visual Effects

Will win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Could win: Mad Max: Fury Road

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regardingsara · 8 years

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Moon Pies

Moon pies... what a time to be alive!

I had never had moon pies before, but my husband has, from the time he lived in New Orleans, so this Valentine’s Day I decided to surprise him with some. Moon pies, a Mardi Gras staple, are cookie sandwiches with a marshmallow cream filling, covered with a chocolate coating. The concept is simple but genius. The process, however, is pretty complicated.

When I did my initial research, I found that most recipes were as hard as making macarons, and on the other end of the spectrum there were people who took the time to write a post about buying cookies, spreading premade marshmallow cream and melting chocolate chips in the microwave. Now, I love baking from scratch, but I'm not a macaron-level baker, so I wanted some sort of middle ground. When you dissect the recipe, you realize that the most intimidating part is making the marshmallow from scratch. But I'm here to let you in on a little secret: you CAN get away with melting store bought marshmallows in the microwave. If you want to make it from scratch, then more power to you. But if you don't, know that you can still have homemade moon pies AND your sanity. That's a win-win in my book.

Now, on to the recipe:

Ingredients

For the cookies:

12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), slightly softened and at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup all-purpose flour

For the marshmallow filling:

3.5 ounces mini marshmallows

For the chocolate coating:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Make the cookies: Using a mixer fitted with hook attachments, cream the butter until soft and smooth. Add the sugar and continue mixing until well blended. Add the vanilla and mix until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, cornstarch and flour. With the mixer running at low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and blend just until combined. Form the dough into a disk and chill covered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 375° F. On a floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/8-inch thick. Using flour-dipped cookie cutters, cut out 1 1/2 inch diameter circles and place them on a greased cookie sheet, leaving 1-inch between the cookies. Bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, then let cool on the pan. Make the marshmallow filling: In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the marshmallows in batches of 1/2 cup at a time, for 20-30 seconds, until melted and fluffy. Working quickly, spread the melted marshmallows on one of the cookies and cover with another one to make a sandwich. The marshmallows will get gooey really quick, but fret not, as the final moon pies will be easy to chew.

Make the chocolate Coating: melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-filled cookies into the hot chocolate. Lift out with a fork and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the cookie sheet and let set in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden.

#moon pie #baking #recipe

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regardingsara · 8 years

Photo

The bee’s knees

#photography #canon #macro #bee #flower

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regardingsara · 8 years

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Sara’s favorite films of 2015

As I did last year, I start this list with a disclaimer: this is NOT a “Best of 2015” list. There’s a lot of movies from last year that I haven’t been able to catch up with, even though I’m dying to (which is also why this list comes so late). Anomalisa, By The Sea, Carol, Room, Spotlight, Steve Jobs, The Big Short, Trainwreck, 7 Days In Hell, Boulevard, Inside Out, Macbeth, Tenured and Love and Mercy are all on my list. As I still expect to watch them in the coming weeks, this list is still subject to change. For the time being, these are my top 10 films of 2015:

10. Ixcanul

Ixcanul, my country’s only second submission ever for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, premiered last year in the Berlinale and then took the international film festival circuit by storm. The film tells the story of María, a mayan teenager dreaming of making a better life for herself, in a community dominated by mayan men who in turn answer to the ladinos. I read great things about Jayro Bustamante’s debut feature, and I was truly excited about it. I really liked it, but it’s not without its flaws. Bustamante is clearly a director with a vision. I was struck by his choice of (SPOILER) using the same shot for opening and closing the film: at the beginning of the story, María finds herself unwillingly preparing for an arranged marriage, and after her journey, she ends up in the same position, showing how little say mayan women have when it comes to deciding their own fate. Bustamante captures the quiet life in the Guatemalan highlands through beautiful scenic shots, but there’s some amateur camera work in the long takes, with actors walking in and out of the frames and conversation scenes where the camera doesn’t focus on the person talking. I imagine that it had to do with the budget, but I also imagine this cost the film a place in the Oscar shortlist. María Mercedes Coroy portrays María as quiet, shy and repressed, but sometimes comes across as flat. Her mother, played by María Telón, however, is the true force in front of the camera, and unsurprisingly, she is the only actor in the cast with experience. Ixcanul is not a perfect movie, but it brought Bustamante and our film industry the attention and support that hopefully will translate into better projects in the future. I look forward to it, as I believe Bustamante is a few films away from his masterpiece.

9. Chappie

I watched Chappie, without any expectations of liking it, because it was hubby’s turn to pick the movie. I was pleasantly surprised to find a compelling, emotionally engaging story that ultimately found a spot in my top 10 list. An unpopular opinion, I know, as Chappie was panned by critics, and I still don’t understand why. I’m not a fan of traditional sci-fi (two of my favorite movies, Her and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, are sci-fi, though not the traditional robots and spaceships kind); yet Neill Blomkamp’s body of work always pulls me out of my comfort zone. Chappie, a robot with artificial intelligence, is stolen by a group of gangsters who intend to turn him into one of them, but Chappie soon develops a personality, relationships and feelings of his own. Frequent Blomkamp collaborator Sharlto Copley voices Chappie, and Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman and Dev Patel are effective, as usual. South African rap-rave Die Antwoord play the gangsters, and while they come across as campy as first, I didn’t mind them after a while. They’re not supposed to be likable characters anyway. I think Blomkamp’s problem with the critics is that he did such a great job with District 9 that everything he has done since pales in comparison. However, that doesn’t mean his other movies are bad. Blomkamp is a consistent director with a cohesive body of work. His films deserve your time; take it from someone who doesn’t even like sci-fi.

8. The Revenant

Famously shot in natural light, The Revenant follows Hugh Glass, a frontiersman left for dead by the rest of his hunting party, as he struggles to survive so he can ultimately get his revenge. Alejandro González Iñárritu continues to experiment with filmmaking techniques and his love of long takes. The results are once again striking, but pale in comparison with the director’s previous efforts. The Revenant is a showcase for Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Emanuel Lubezki, who once again confirms that he’s a master of light, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing by the film’s end. The film is a beautiful visual spectacle, but the storytelling falls short, especially in character development. Tom Hardy’s Fitzgerald is a more nuanced character than DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass; the latter a man about whom we know very little, with a clear-cut motivation, while the former is a practical man looking for his own survival, and attempting to preserve his conscience by rationalizing what he had to do, so well that even I sided with him at times. He’s a more well-rounded character than the protagonist, to the extent that the writers need to keep the audience from empathizing with him by having him act like a stereotypical asshole. The Revenant has its flaws, but it succeeds more often that it fails.

7. Far From The Madding Crowd

Far From The Madding Crowd is the kind of film that doesn’t get made anymore, and, while that’s not a bad thing (film, as any other art form, must evolve and innovate, and what would life be without modern masterpieces like Her and Eternal Sunshine?), there is something so satisfying about a well made adaptation of a literary classic. The film follows Batsheba Everdeen as she manages her newly inherited farm on her own, while attracting the attention of three men who court her. Reminiscent of Legends of the Fall and Little Women, this is classic film making at its finest, and while it brings nothing new to the table, every artistic and technical detail is top notch. Carey Mulligan carries the film with the same quiet and graceful strength as Batsheba does her farm, and she’s as good as ever. The technical aspects are also effective, particularly the cinematography. This is the best film of 2015 you didn’t know you needed to see.

6. The Danish Girl

I read a review of The Danish Girl that said something like, “Whatever you think about Tom Hooper as a filmmaker, for better or worse, this film confirms it”. That led me to go into this film with mixed feelings: while after The King’s Speech I thought that he was an actor’s director with a great sense of composition, I walked out of Les Miserables, a film I really wanted to like, thinking “The musical is dead and Tom Hooper killed it”. I didn’t know what to expect from The Danish Girl. Is it a Hooper film a la King’s Speech or was The King’s Speech a fluke? Turns out, it’s the former. Hooper elicits a brilliant performance from Eddie Redmayne that is even superior to his work in The Theory of Everything. Redmayne plays Einar Wegener, the first known person to have sex reassignment surgery, with a quiet restraint, and conveys his true repressed desires even before he puts on women’s stockings for the first time. He has the screenplay to thank for the opportunity to go this way, and while the character study could have been more in-your-face, the screenplay lets the audience do some of the thinking, which is appreciated. Alicia Vikander is brilliant as the wife who is torn between supporting her husband and saving her marriage. Her desperation as she realizes those two things are mutually exclusive is heartbreaking. Amber Heard, in a small role, lights up the screen whenever she is in it. Of course, Hooper’s trademark framing techniques need the right backgrounds, and the production design is up to the task. This film is proof that Tom Hooper still has it.

5. Trumbo

Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, as most film history nerds know, was one of many victims of a witch hunt conducted by Senator McCarthy that left many suspected communists in the film industry blacklisted and out of a job for years. Since this is not a history lesson, I’ll stop at that and I’ll just tell you that Trumbo tells the tale better than I can. I just love a good movie about film history, and Trumbo does it for me. It was so exciting as a film history nerd to recognize all of Trumbo’s stories (Roman Holiday! Spartacus!), and I also learned a lot I didn’t know about the times of the blacklist and the post WWII paranoia. Bryan Cranston does Dalton Trumbo justice, and is surrounded by a great supporting cast. Helen Mirren as full-blown bitch Hedda Hopper is a delight, and for my money, the villain of the year. Elle Fanning is settling nicely into her career as a grown actress and adds another great performance to her résumé as Trumbo’s teenage daughter. But the most genius casting decision was getting Dean O'Gorman as Kirk Douglas. Props to the make-up and costume departments and O'Gorman’s chin because I swear I thought I was watching Spartacus being filmed before my very eyes. So, in short, the direction and cinematography are average, but the story and the acting are fantastic, and if you like the subject matter, you’ll enjoy Trumbo thoroughly.

4. Ex Machina

Ex Machina is an accessible sci-fi thriller, carried by three brilliant actors, all of whom enjoyed a landmark year in their careers in 2015: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac. Caleb (Gleeson), a programmer, is invited to his boss’ secluded estate for a week, only to discover that the estate feels like a prison, his boss Nathan (Isaac) is a douchebag with a god complex, and the holiday is work: he is supposed to administer the Turing test to Ava, a robot created by Nathan, to determine if she has actual artificial intelligence. At first, Ava seems to only be playing the imitation game, but as she and Caleb start bonding, he realizes that there’s more to her -and Nathan- than meets the eye. Alex Garland, an experienced sci-fi screenwriter, shows great potential in his debut feature, creating an unsettling atmosphere throughout the film. I’ve heard some complains about the ending being predictable, but Ava did fool me. Ex Machina is a very well crafted film that is as intellectually challenging as it is entertaining.

3. The Martian

Ridley Scott is back! The director returns to form with this adaptation of the Andy Weir novel of the same name. Matt Damon, in a performance that embodies every human emotion in the spectrum, plays Mark Watney, an astronaut who is presumed dead and left behind in Mars. Watney is determined to survive until a rescue mission arrives, and he uses his knowledge and resourcefulness to solve every issue you can imagine, from food and water to communication with home. Mars comes to life through top notch VFX and production design, and Scott’s vision is palpable. Is The Martian a comedy/musical, like the Golden Globes tried to make you believe? Not really, but I’ll tell you two things: a) Mark Watney uses humor to keep his sanity while he’s stranded in Mars, and he says the darndest things, making this the funniest movie I saw in 2015 (it’s certainly funnier that previous comedy nominees Pride and Prejudice and My Week with Marilyn) ; and b) while it’s not strictly a musical either, it’s also the year’s best use of a soundtrack to drive a point home. The Martian is funny, emotional and utterly entertaining. Welcome back, Mr. Scott!

2. Brooklyn

There are better, more entertaining, more groundbreaking films in this list, but no other film I saw in 2015 had the emotional resonance that Brooklyn had, and at the end of the day, that’s what filmmaking as an art form is all about: to be moved by what you’re seeing in the screen. Saoirse Ronan plays Ellis Lacey, a young Irish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in Ireland, where there’s no future for her. She moves to Brooklyn in search for a better life, and she meets Tony (Emory Cohen) and falls in love. But she still has ties to her hometown, and she will have to choose between the people she loves in both places. This film almost tops my list because of all the movies I saw this year, this is the one that left me wanting more, in a good way. I wanted to see more of Ellis and Tony’s love story, and it was in no small part thanks to Emory Cohen, who in my book is the supporting actor of the year. Saoirse Ronan is heartbreaking, and she perfectly conveys how Ellis doesn’t feel at home in either place, yet can’t leave either place behind. Both actors make the most out of an excellent screenplay that keeps you interested despite some predictable plot points. Like Ellis, you’ll want to go back to Brooklyn over and over again.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

You know that drink, the Hurricane? You drink it, tastes good, you still feel sober, but then some big guy comes from behind you and spins you around and when it’s over, you don’t know up from down anymore? That’s what George Miller does to you with Mad Max: Fury Road. You think you’re watching a typical car chase, but then you’re assaulted with great cinematography, editing, stunt work, VFX, sound, production design, music and acting, and it’s not until the credits roll that you realize that you just watched the best movie of the year. Tom Hardy does justice to the iconic Mad Max character, but make no mistake: this is Imperator Furiosa’s story. It’s her journey we’re following, as she tries to free the tyrannical Inmortan Joe’s wives and find a new home away from the post-apocalyptic wasteland where Joe has built his citadel. As Furiosa, Charlize Theron proves once again that she is as good as an action star as she is as a dramatic actress, and she creates the best female action hero since probably Ellen Ripley in Alien. Furthermore, this film singlehandedly makes the case for the overdue Stunt Ensemble Oscar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Academy finally announces it this year. And Junkie XL, in one of the most memorable scores of the year, creates the perfect aural companion for the action packed scenes. So, for its technical achievements, its message of female empowerment, its unique aesthetic and for proving that the fourth installment in a franchise can (and should) aspire to be a masterpiece, Mad Max: Fury Road gets my seal of approval as the best film of 2015.

#top10movies #ixcanul #the danish girl #best of 2015 #chappie #far from the madding crowd #the revenant #trumbo #the martian #brooklyn #mad max #ex machina

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regardingsara · 8 years

Text

Asian Lemon Chicken

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into tenders

1 cup all purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

¼ cup sliced green onions

Lemon sauce:

¼ cup honey

½ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup soy sauce

1 pinch of chili pepper flakes (optional)

¼ cup pineapple juice

1 cup lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

Instructions

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, mix together all sauce ingredients, and stir until sugar melts.

Mix together salt and pepper with the flour, and dredge the chicken tenders.

Mix together milk, egg, and vinegar.

Dip the dredged chicken tenders into the egg mixture. Dredge in flour again.

In a large pan, heat oil until it sizzles when you flick water into it, but not so hot that steam is coming off. Fry the chicken tenders on each side until brown. Set on paper towels to catch excess oil. Then toss with lemon sauce.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh green onion.

#asian lemon chicken #asian cuisine #recipe

0 notes

regardingsara · 8 years

Text

Oscar nominations: predictions

Best picture

(Assuming there’s 10):

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Carol

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Best director

Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant

Todd Haynes, Carol

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Ridley Scott, The Martian

Best actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo Di Caprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Best actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Best supporting actor

Paul Dano, Love and Mercy

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Michael Shannon, 99 homes

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best supporting actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol

Helen Mirren, Trumbo

Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best original screenplay

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

The Hateful Eight

Inside Out

Spotlight

Best adapted screenplay

The Big Short

Brooklyn

The Martian

Room

Steve Jobs

Best animated feature

Anomalisa

Inside Out

The Good Dinosaur

The Peanuts Movie

Shaun The Sheep Movie

Best documentary feature

Amy

Best of Enemies

Cartel Land

Listen to me Marlon

The Look of Silence

Best foreign language film

The Fencer (Finland)

Labyrinth of Lies (Germany)

Mustang (France)

Son of Saul (Hungary)

Theeb (Jordan)

Best animated short

Carface (Autos Portraits)

If I was God

Prologue

Sanjay’s Super Team

World of Tomorrow

Best original score

Bridge of Spies

Carol

The Hateful Eight

Mad Max: Fury Road

Sicario

Best original song

“Love me like you do” from Fifty Shades of Grey

“See you again” from Furious Seven

“Simple song #3” from Youth

“Til it happens to you” from The Hunting Ground

“Writing’s on the wall” from Spectre

Best editing

The Big Short

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Spotilight

Best cinematography

Bridge of Spies

Carol

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Sicario

Best visual effects

Jurassic World

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The Walk

Best make up and hair styling

Black Mass

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Best costume design

Brooklyn

Carol

Cinderella

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best production desigh

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Carol

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

8 notes · View notes