Cannes 2012

Hello beautiful (poster)!

Recovering

Slowly returning to normality, it’s hard to distance myself from the previous couple of days. So I hope this post helps me!

Still a fact – no one resisted to this win. It’s unanimous; everyone loves Meryl Streep, even the ones, like me, supporting Viola Davis. No one resists a good Meryl speech.

I just hope Viola Davis gets good roles, only she knows how hard it is to find a well written character for a black 40 year old actress in Hollywood.

A few things I finally interiorized with the Oscars.

If you really want your film to win an Oscar (especially if you’re an outsider) – Talk to and befriend Harvey Weinstien.

If you’re an actress, don’t ever get your hopes high – unless Meryl Streep is doing a romantic comedy that will probably not get an Oscar nod, only a Golden Globe. If Harvey Weinstien is behind this comedy, then forget it.

If you’re a black actor act the same way but think even lower, or choose instead the good supporting role because it’s more likely to succeed, because it’s really one thing or the other. Never happened before, so.

Considering already the fame attached, if an actor plays someone the opposite from him, I don’t know, let’s say that he is a womanizer, he plays a faithful husband dealing with the grief and forgiveness to the unfaithful wife. If he’s kind of a bully, play a wonderful gay. If beauty is one of their treats, get a prosthetic nose or get really fat or something, someone with undecipherable emotions and it gets pretty easy to see how they “transformed” into someone else and it will easily get them there.

Finally, always think that the people voting for your film are really old white Hollywood veterans (males) that enjoy a good Hollywood film.

I propose this challenge to myself from now on – don’t read and don’t listen to the majority of Oscar Talk. And especially don’t care.

Never use words such as deserve and fairness.

And become sort of autistic when the ceremony starts. Erase everything out of my mind. Like when I watched Sucker Punch (it was the only way). And I’ll be just fine. Because I tell you, honestly, I will keep watching it. I'm sure it will be awesome.

Also a good tip, I guess, if you want to – the morning after the Oscars watch a good film like Take Shelter or Like Crazy, or in others words, a good indie film. It will make you feel so much better and give you this film sobriety. And this is the most important part, you don’t want to go to the internet because you’re very likely to see Oscar statues and everything related to it and it will make you want to throw up.

Oscar Season - The Night

Oh god, I can’t believe it’s over! MERYLLLLLL YES!

I don’t even know what to say! It was as usual boring, god if they push the classy classy to this one, I guess every time I watch Oscars I have to see Jaws. It’s incredible! But it’s over and over and the discussions and predictions are finally over!

About the Show – From the beginning of the show I wanted the host to shut his mouth. And along the way all I could think of was ‘BRING ME BACK HUGH JACKMAN’. And then the circus (I appreciate the effort), but common I was watching the freaking Oscars or the Circus?! You know what I would love, that they cut half the bullshit and let the presenters present and the speeches be said with time. Common, they’re the real artists; they’re the geniuses that make us dream in a dark room.

(Hey, and we still want to watch films in a theater, really! We’re maybe just not going to do it that often because WE DON’T HAVE MONEY these days…)

By the way great moments between the presenters. The big winner was EMMA STONE. God, she was a natural…and hilarious! It was her first time presenting an award. She should have presented the rest of the fucking show!

SORRY my beautiful Angelina (I love you) but that pose, really? Was that really necessary?! Anyway…love you! But seriously…

Robert Downey Jr. - what a fucking performer! And the actress playing a bitch…really authentic.

From Bridesmaids girls (they really rocked this year and the past!) to Sandra Bullock speaking a foreign language (whatever that was); they were cool.

Ironically, probably the characters I most despise in these areas. Why the fuck are these people invited to this show? Surely there are a lot of different people in this place….

You want to see an authentic surprised reaction – see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo editors!! Maybe the biggest surprise of the night! They were hilarious; they really didn’t know what to say! “Get out of here”, loved it!

I mean, there were great speeches tonight! Oh and they showed clips. They did the speeches and they showed the scenes. Awesome!

Ok, let’s go! I would love that Emmanuel Lubeszki had won. I actually got a bit scared, would Hugo win everything?

A Separation! What else can be said? It’s so well done, we all can learn from this film, from inside out, from the making of a film to the story telling and then the story itself. And it was the real speech.
'Saving Face' won Best Doc Short. Good.

Curious Fact! The only Doc I missed was the one that won! Great! I believe it was all fair, even though Paradise Lost would be an even more rewarding win. Again, great speech guys! Not so Undefeated.

I love the part when they give the awards for screenwriters and I get to see the letters in the screen has the scene roles. I love it. About the The Descendents win, I think there were even greater scripts beside that one. Moneyball for instance. It was a really intense and rich work, but anyway. WOODY ALLEN, always rocking his attitude. He is undeniably one of the greatest.

Oh, sweet Octavia. I thought she was not going to be able to stand in her feet, really! It’s so deserved, but it would be even more if Jessica Chastain would have won!! But the good part is, SHE’LL BE BACK! I’m sure! And the standing ovation was much deserved too. Beautiful moment.

The standing ovation continuous! Christopher Plummer speech is kind of perfect! I guess not forgetting anyone in the middle, including his partner in crime Ewan McGregor, Mike Mills and his wife, who should won a Nobel Peace Prize for rescuing him every day of his life. I think the moments I enjoyed the most this night was the men thanking their wives. Really!

I love the history made throughout the show. But before that, the Best Performance by an Actor. He sure loves America. I’m actually glad! He did something pretty outstanding in the days that pass. He did something unique. He deserves, yes. The thing is all the five performances are rich. It’s a bummer!

Oh boy, the French people must be celebrating. BEST PICTURE – THE ARTIST. 

Michelle Hazanavicius forgot his speech right away…it’s only understandable! 

(Oh so French...!) There was a lot of making out in this show!

Again thanking the wives… 

I CAN’T BELIEVE they showed THE RAPE SCENE! Rooney Mara was just having fun. I love her.

Colin Firth: Mama mia…back when he was gay and probably the father of her daughter. They were messy days…hilarious man.

And MERYYYL STREEPPP. So freaking deserving. Good god! FINALLLLLLYYYYYY. After so many years sited in that chair watching fourteen times other actresses take the statue, but it’s not even about that. I don’t care how many times she was nominated, because she simply deserves it! Even in my short life I’ve wondered many times about her speech and finally I freaking listened to it. The Meryl Streep Oscar Speech. The applause, the standing ovation. These are the moments!

"I understand I may never be up here again", said Meryl. No, I don’t think anyone believes in that. You are so coming back. 

That's it, I leave you with Meryl. 

Oscar Season

Ok, so the Oscars are this Sunday and I completely forgot about it, this week. The days have passed and honestly I’ve been really uninspired. I guess I slowly realize this every year, I’m sure every nominated person deserves to be there. It’s how I see things at the end of the day. Every actor deserves to be there. There are a few exceptions, like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which didn’t made me cry and I think the big problem of this film is that it wasn’t able to reach people, to touch them. But generally, they all do tremendous work. Even War Worse, which I thought it had beautiful shots, especially the one when the horse runs through the war fields but the film it’s for six year olds. Yes, there are many other people and films that should be there, like Ryan Gosling, Elizabeth Olsen, like Drive, like Take Shelter, like Alexandre Desplat and at least one of his ten scores last year, but they weren’t. I guess the trick is not minding, right?

It’s really curious because at the start of the season, it was pretty much described as ‘anyone’s game’. Then The Artist proved it completely wrong. This film probably broke a lot of records, because it’s been winning every freaking thing. Then there’s his connection to Hugo, the two films fighting for Best Picture are love letters to a different era of Cinema. One it’s about Silent Film, the other is about a film groundbreaker and lover, Georges Méliès.

The Artist is to me completely irresistible. Hugo, it’s absolutely charming and beautiful. But I would choose The Tree of Life or Moneyball. I simply loved these two.

I now watched the majority of the films and is still is an open run, in many categories.

Jean Dujardin wins Best Actor and my reaction is “Ok…” If I had to choose I would say one hundred times Brad Pitt.

Viola Davis for Best Actress, it’s naturally fair. I think it’s her time. But its good there’s still a race in these two categories. 

Best Supporting Actress – I would choose Jessica Chastain, and if I could push this forward I would do it with all my guts. More than being the Actress of 2011, she is great just so great. When I thought about The Help more than a year ago I could never imagined she would actually be nominated for an Oscar but here she is. And what best way to end the year with an Oscar? God, she was so heartbreaking. It would be a much deserved win. But hey, Octavia Spencer is obviously no less deserving.

Christopher Plummer will win his first Oscar at the age of 82 and it must be so reassuring for any actor…it’s never too late right? I though the joke I read about Max Von Sydow’s role was funny, they said he wanted to be in The Artist instead of Extremely Loud.

The winner for Beat Animated Feature - Rango. 

Two docs I would love to see, enlisted for Best Documentary Short are:

Lucy Walker knows best.

This one will probably win the Oscar. I actually don’t even know if I am able to watch it…

I still haven’t seen all the docs, a category I particularly enjoy, but I’m feeling that the win will be for Undefeated or Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. I wouldn’t be surprised if Paradise Lost won.

My favorite Oscar win of my short life was Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose. I don’t know how she did it, but she got it. All I know is that I was jumping of joy around 5 a.m in the morning. I remember this moment every year.

I don’t know if I’m excited about Sunday, I’ll probably get a bit when it starts but until then I am thinking about the irony of things. Like this song played in Moneyball. “I want my money back, just enjoy the show, I want my money back”. Instead it would be something like, “I want my neurons back, just enjoy the show.”

Anna Karenina

The other event of the year it's Joe Wright back in costumes, back with Keira Knightley. And a cast that couldn't get any better. From Michelle Dockery to Kelly Macdonald to Olivia Williams. Back with Dario Marianelli and other of his team mates. What else could I possibly want?

The Story: Set in late 19th Century Russia high society, it explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.

Women in Hollywood

I mean...great prospects, really.

Here's my question: What the fuck? 

Picture Moment - Guess Who

...

Naomi Watts and Robin Wright filming The Grandmothers. A story about two childhood friends and neighbors that fall in love for each other’s sons.

Waves

Talking about Bachelorette, I was thinking, Hollywood is always hilarious. Because of last year’s Bridesmaids success now the guys decided to welcome the female genre (again?). It happened with Bachelorette, that wouldn’t be made if it wasn’t for the other B film I mentioned earlier. Then there’s Girls, a comedy series being developed by Lena Dunham (who wrote and directed Tiny Furniture) and produced by Judd Apatow.

They really loved Bridesmaids money. We all know they are ruled by what they feel like will get them profits, so the question is, will this be something that will stay around? Or it’s just a phase? Because if this is a temporary thing, it really sounds like an insult. 

Meanwhile, for your consideration.
If you want to see a previous introduction to Girls you just have to watch Tiny Furniture.

Lizzy Break

I’m naming Lizzy Caplan one of this year’s Breakout Stars. She’s my Breakout Star, no doubt about that.  After Sundance everyone got a bit crazy for her, and I say - finally.

It’s natural that when you look at her you think of Mean Girls. Right, she was actually the most interesting character to me, maybe because she was the stronger. And you got to love her attitude. She looks so cool. I’ve been unconsciously looking out for her ever since Mean Girls. And now I’m consciously having a huge crush on her.

She’s in Cloverfield, which is enjoyable and many other participations in tv series. But the thing is, there aren’t enough roles. I feel like watching one hundred films with her, so it’s hard. People have to start giving her leading roles already. Thank god she’s in New Girl. She also scored a leading role in a TV project called 'Masters of Sex'.

So, we have another B movie, called  Bachelorette.

And we have Save the Date. Which are two very different approaches towards a similiar theme.

Meanwhile you can watch her being cool. – Home for Actresses.

A Short film she produced, called Successful Alcoholics.

Watch out, because she's getting stronger.