Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Alan's Golden Globe Predictions - 2014

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Those kooky folks at the Globes picked Avatar over Hurt Locker – will they pick Gravity or Hustle over 12 Years A Slave?  Predicting what 90 random Hollywood Foreign Press members picked is a daunting task, but last year I was 82% correct, so here's what's gonna happen on Sunday night: 

Best Actor (Drama)
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
McConaughey’s best work in his comeback year.

Watch out for: Chiwetel Ejiofor if 12 Years a Slave sweeps. They love him and nominated him for Kinky Boots. He’s the frontrunner in most races, but I see this group checking the box for McConaughey.


Best Actress (Drama)
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
You could have called this one in July and I did. A highly respected, top tier actress playing an unforgettable character.


Watch out for: Sandra Bullock, who was in every stellar scene of Gravity, a film that might do a surprise sweep on the show.


Best Supporting Actor
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
This is a tough category, but Jared Leto in a dress has the edge.

Watch out for: The phenomenal Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave


Best Supporting Actress
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
She’ll probably surprise as best dressed too.

Watch out for: American Hustle’s Jennifer Lawrence, who’s a frontrunner but handicapped only by being last year’s winner for Silver Lining’s Playbook.


Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Amy Adams, American Hustle
A well loved movie. A well loved actress. Anything could happen in the comedy category.

Watch out for:
The Euro-awesome Julie Delpy, in most unfunny movie of the year, Before Midnight. Really, that was a comedy?


Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Leonardo DiCaprio, Wolf Of Wall Street
This is an award that goes to actors like Jim Carrey, Sasha Cohen Baron and Robert Downey Jr. But this year we have Bale, Dern and DiCaprio with comedic roles in quality movies - so who knows. But Leo had never been better and is in almost every scene of this 3-hour film.

Watch out for: A lot of love for Bruce Dern, Nebraska, who would appreciate a win the most.


Best Animated Feature Film
Frozen
The easiest call of the night. Monsters, University might have been a rival to watch out for, but it wasn’t even nominated.


Best Foreign Language Film
The Great Beauty, Italy
Hmmm. Do you think the Hollywood Foreign Press will appreciate the story of an aging journalist on his rounds through the excesses of the Eternal City in director Paolo Sorrentino's love letter to Federico Fellini's classic La Dolce Vita ?

Watch out for: A nod of support to the controversial Blue is the Warmest Color


Best Screenplay
Her, Spike Jonze
A very original, original script has an edge over the adapted ones.

Watch out for: The movie that sweeps: 12 Years a Slave or American Hustle


Best Original Song
Ordinary Day performed by U2 - Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom
Inside Llewyn Davis’ American Folk music or Mandela and Bono? U2 is just what the Hollywood Foreign Press likes to reward.

Watch out for: A curveball from Let It Go from Frozen, performed by Wicked’s Idina Menzel



Best Original Score:
Steven Price, Gravity
This memorable score is the standout.

Watch out for: If Zimmer’s 12 Years a Slave is part of a big sweep.



Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Simply the most standout choice.

Watch out for: David O. Russell, in an American Hustle sweep or Steve McQueen in a 12 Years A Slave sweep.



Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)
American Hustle
In a very competitive category of drama/comedy films and cool music soundtracks, American Hustle has all of this — and good timing.

Watch out for: The Wolf of Wall Street, and any movie in this category


Best Motion Picture (Drama)
Gravity

I boldly predict the awards-love for Gravity and Alfonso Cuarón is going to start Sunday night, which will rock the front-runner status of 12 Years A Slave, the most worthy film but a film that might not have impacted  this group of foreign journalists.


Watch out for: Frontrunner 12 Years A Slave


The Person Tina Fey will think is funniest (Comedy or Musical)
Tina Fey

Watch out for: Tina Fey


 







Thursday, January 2, 2014

American Hustle


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Surprisingly, the story of the Abscam scandal is not a serious film. But it is a seriously good film.


Director David O. Russell’s skillfully executed American Hustle offers so many breezy pleasures while telling the serious story of the Abscam affair, the preposterous-but-true 1970’s criminal investigation in which the F.B.I. utilized a swindler to ensnare public officials.

The opening tag tells us, “Some of this actually happened,” and the film benefits from that heightened reality approach by utilizing its garrulous characters.

The casts of Russell’s The Fighter and The Silver Linings Playbook combined, plus Jeremy Renner and Louis C.K play these over-the-top characters zestfully. That means we get Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNiro — all in their David O. Russell groove. Foxy!

Simply put:  Ridiculously entertaining and impeccably cast. Do the Hustle!

Award potential: Every actor above is a front-runner in his or her category. The film and director also are shoo-ins. Best Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume and more should place this film just behind 12 Years A Slave and Gravity for multiple Oscar nominations.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.



Saving Mr. Banks


Emma Thompson Mary Poppins

A Disney Studios film about the backstory of how Disney’s Mary Poppins came to the screen in 1964 could have been something quite atrocious. It’s not.


Two-time Oscar-winner Emma Thompson (as Mary Poppins author P.L Travers) and fellow double Oscar-winner Tom Hanks (as Walt Disney) is a delight.

Much of the credit for this film has to go to Emma Thompson, who is in almost every scene. And Hanks makes for a likeable and animated Mr. Disney. The movie needed his Hollywood stature and personality to play such an American icon. And good news for those who saw The Sound Of Music Live, Carrie Underwood does NOT play Julie Andrews.

Ultimately, this is a light documentary subject for a feature film during award season, yet I was fully intrigued. In fact, I think I’m guilty of humming a song or two on the way out, and I downloaded a biography of P.L. Travers that night.

Simply put:  A delightful Hollywood true story, with just a spoonful of sugar to make this the perfect family film for the holiday season.

Award potential: Thompson and Hanks are likely nominees. Neither will win. The film may be too sugary self-aware coming from Disney Studios to capture a Best Picture nomination, but it’s on the shortlist of ten movies that will likely get a nod.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

will the hobbit be nominated for an Oscar

Bilbo Baggins is back. But is the second installment of Peter Jackson's trilogy worth another 161 minutes of your precious time?  


The middle film about the Hobbit and Middle Earth falls you-know-where between the first film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and the fantastic The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

The Desolation of Smaug jumps straight into the action and doesn't relent until the cliffhanger ending. This action-oriented addition to the series is a fine improvement over the slower first offering, which spent appropriate (but often slow) time introducing us to the film’s characters.
Only five of the book's chapters are adapted here — the rest is added for the film series. The Hobbit series would probably have made a single film that would be easier to praise, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself anyway.
Simply put:  Like the fab waterfall scene halfway in, it’s a fun action thrill ride for the holidays.

Award potential: The Hobbit series is an award-season downgrade from The Lord of The Rings series. Expect nods for Best Bakeup and Best Visual Effects, but nothing more.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Philomena


philomena lee

Is Philomena philomenal?


Philomena Lee’s journey is one of those small, true stories that inspire good movies, showing up in theaters just in time for the holidays.

Philomena, based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith,The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) to find her Irish son who was given away for adoption in the United States.

As you can expect, her journey with the writer, Martin (Steve Coogan), takes a few poignant turns.

Simply put:  Philomenal. A true story. A truly affecting film.

Award potential: Dench is a delight and she has a good shot at a Best Actress nomination, if not an Oscar win. Cate Blanchett will take that award.
The movie has a small chance at Best Picture and Best Actor for Steve Coogan – but it has a very good shot at Best Screenplay. 
The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Alan's Golden Globe Nominee Predictions - 2014



The Golden Globes are voted on The Hollywood Foreign press, which is 90 foreign journalists who choose to live in Southern California — so who knows what they think? Apparently, I sorta do. I have an 87% accuracy rate in the past, so here goes.


Best Motion Picture (Drama)
12 Years A Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Saving Mr. Banks
The Butler

Watch out for: Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club,

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf Of Wall Street

Watch out for: Her


Best Actor In A Leading Role (Drama)

Chiwetel Ejiofor,12 Years A Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Robert Redfort, All Is Lost
Forest Whitaker, The Butler

Watch out for: Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station



Best Actor In A Leading Role (Comedy or Musical)


Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaptio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Issac, Inside Lllewyn Davis
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Joaquin Phoenix, Her

Watch out for: Christian Bale, American Hustle



Best Actress In A Leading Role (Drama)

Bereinice Bejo, The Past
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Judi Dench, Philomena

Watch out for: Kate Winslet, Labor Day

Best Actress In A Leading Role (Comedy)
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delphy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August; Osage County

Watch out for: Melissa McCarthy, The Heat



Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Watch out for: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips



Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniel’s The Butler

Watch out for: Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station



Best Screenplay


August: Osage County
Before Midnight
Inside Llewyn Davis
Saving Mr. Banks
The Wolf of Wall Street

Watch out for: Philomena, 12 Years A Slave, Nebraska, Her



Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
The Coens, Inside Llewyn Davis

Watch out for: Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips and Spike Jones, Her


Best Animated Motion Picture
Frozen
Monsters University
The Wind Rises

Watch out for: The Croods, Ernest & Celistine


The nominations will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7 a.m. CST on NBC. The 71st annual Golden Globes, hosted for the second consecutive year by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, will air Sunday, January 12, 2014, on NBC.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Alan's SAG AWARD Nominee Predictions for 2014


who will be nominated for SAG OSCAR Golden Globe  Jennifer Lawrence SAGGY BOOBS
The SAGS are not the Oscars, but last year, 14 of the 20 SAG nominees went on to reap Oscar bids. In 2012, it was 17 out of 20. Below, my fearless predictions for Wednesday's nominees in all the film categories.



 Best Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Judi Dench, Philomena

Meryl Streep, August; Osage County

Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks



Watch out for: Amy Adams, American Hustle



  
Best Male Actor In A Leading Role

Chiwetel Ejiofor,12 Years A Slave

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips

Robert Redford, All Is Lost

Bruce Dern, Nebraska



Watch out for: Forest Whitaker, The Butler

It’s the toughest category. Sorry Leonardo DiCaprio Michael B. Jordan and Joaquin Phoenix




Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role


Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Lupita Nyongo, 12 Years A Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County

Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station

Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniel’s The Butler



Watch out for: June Squibb, Nebraska





Best Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave

Harrison Ford, 42

John Goodman, Inside Llewyn Davis

Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks

Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club



Watch out for: Jake Gyllenhall, Prisoners





Best Performance By A Cast Ensemble (Not Best Picture)

12 Years A Slave

American Hustle

August: Osage County

Lee Daniel’s The Butler

The Wolf Of Wall Street



Watch out for: Saving Mr. Banks and Blue Jasmine


Sasha Alexander and Clark Gregg will reveal the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® nominations on Wednesday, Dec. 11  on TNT at 8 a.m. (CT)  and webcast live on tntdrama.com and tbs.com. 






Tony

Granted, I’m a sucker for films with vintage lenses, the seventies, beaches and coming-of-age stories, but Tony was the surprise of the sum...