Sunday, February 24, 2013

Argo wins the Oscar for Best Picture



Argo won the best Picture winning three awards. Life of Pi however was the real winner as it won Best Director for Ang Lee. Les Miserables won three awards but no one swept the Academy Awards.

Best Picture: Argo
Best Director: Ang Lee-Life of Pi
Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained
Best Supporting Actress-Anne Hathaway-Les Miserables
Best Foreign Film: Amour
Best Documentary: Searching for Sugarman
Best Animated Short: Paperman
Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio-Argo
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino-Django Unchained
Best Live Action Short: Curfew
Best Short Documentary-Innocente
Best Animated Film: Brave
Best Cinematography-Claudio Miranda-Life of Pi
Best Visual Effects-Life of Pi
Best Score-Mychael Danna-Life of Pi
Best Song-Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth-Skyfall
Best Production Design-Rick Carter-Lincoln
Best Costume Design-Jacqueline Durran-Anna Karenina
Best Makeup and Hairstyle-Les Miserables
Best Editing: William Goldenberg-Argo
Best Sound Mixing-Les Miserables
Best Sound Editing-Tie-Zero Dark Thirty & Skyfall

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Silver Linings Playbook won the Indie Spirit Awards


Silver Linings Playbook Swept the Independent Spirit Awards. The Sessions also took home two awards while Magic Mike gave Matthew McConaughey his first award.


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cinema Audio Society and Motion Picture Sound Editors winners



Les Miserables won the Cinema Audio Society for sound mixing. 


Best Sound Mixing - Live Action

Les Misérables

Best Sound Mixing - Animated

Brave
Skyfall won the top prize at the Motion Picture sound editors while Life of Pi took two awards.  

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects and Foley in a Feature Film

Skyfall

Best Sound Editing: Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film

Life of Pi

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in an Animation Feature Film

Wreck-It Ralph

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue, ADR and Music in a Feature Documentary

Last Call at the Oasis

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Foreign Language Film

Rust and Bone

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Feature Film

Life of Pi

Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature Film

Les Misérables

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Argo wins the EDDIE


Argo won the editing award for drama while Silver Linings Playbook won for Comedy.

Argo wins the WGA


Argo sealed the deal for the Best Picture at the Oscars unless a major surprise comes. It won the best adapted screenplay while Zero Dark Thirty won the Original Screenplay.

Best Original Screenplay: Zero Dark Thirty
Best Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man
Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo
Animation: Simpsons

Monday, February 11, 2013

Argo wins the OFTA



Argo went home with the OFTA award winning five awards while Les Miserables tied with five awards. 

Skyfall wins the American Cinematographers Society


Roger Deakins won the American Society of Cinematographers for his work on "Skyfall."  He beat out Oscar nominees Anna Karenina, Life of Pi, and Lincoln as well as Les Miserables.   

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Argo wins the BAFTA Awards



Best Film-Argo
Best British Film-Skyfall
Best Film Not in English-Amour
Best Animated Film-Brave
Best Documentary-Searching for Sugarman
Outstanding debut by a Writer, Director, Producer-The Imposter
Best Director-Ben Affleck-Argo
Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln
Best Actress-Emmanuelle Riva-Amour
Best Supporting Actress-Anne Hathway-Les Miserables
Best Supporting Actor-Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained
Best Adapted Screemplay-David O. Russell-Silver Linings Playbook
Best Original Screenplay-Quentin Tarantino Django Unchained
Best Original Score-Thomas Newman-Skyfall
Best Cinematography-Claudio Miranda-Life of Pi
Best Editing-William Goldenberg-Argo
Best Producion Design-Les Miserables
Best Costume Design-Jacquline Durran-Anna karenina
Best Sound Les Miserables
Best Visual Effects-Life of Pi
Best Makeup-Lisa Westcott-Les Miserables
Best Short Film-Swimmer
Best Animated Short film-The making of Longbird
Best British Contribution to Cinema-Tessa Ross
Rising Star Award-Juno Temple

Argo wins the USC Scripter awards


Argo went home with the USC Scripter award making giving yet another key win and making the race even look more closed. If Argo wins the BAFTA tonight it looks like it could continue to be the front-runner.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Best of 2012-Francisco Salazar's Top Ten Films of the Year



This may be late in awards season but I was finally able to put my top ten list together. A week ago I showed my honorable mentions, films that I loved but did not make this list. The following movies demonstrated the risks, and variety that directors demonstrated in these ten masterpieces.


10 "Les Miserables" by Tom Hooper



Messy, erratic, and over the top are a few words to describe this lush adaptation of the musical Les Miserables. Tom Hooper directs the film with his usual visual style and his awkward angles that add a level of decadence and grittiness necessary to tell this dramatic story. Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valijean with gravitas while Anne Hathaway plays the tragic role of Fantuine with tenderness and dramatic weight. The rest of the cast lead by the charismatic Helena Boham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are terrific. The singing may be at times questionable but overall it gets the job done and sometimes adds to the text which is so masterfully written.

9 "Compliance" by Craig Zobel




Compliance is by far one of the most controversial films of the year. While many people have yet to see Craig Zobel's second film, Compliance is an edgy work that can prove to be hard to watch and making audiences uncomfortable and impatient. The film about a prank caller who convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee is frightening and yet a bit unbelievable. Zobel brings visual imagery that shows the harshness and the grotesque nature in society. Yet he never exploits the subject matter. Led by an impeccable Ann Dowd, Compliance is a film that should not be missed by anyone. 

8 "The Sessions" by Ben Lewin




The feel good movie of the year was The Sessions. Ben Lewin adds tenderness, comedy and tragedy to Mark O'Brien's memoir. The Sessions is about a man in search of losing his virginity who contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest. John Hawkes transforms himself with each movement defining his character and it is by far one of the best male performances of the year. Helen Hunt brings pathos to her role as Cheryl as she shows her conflict for her feelings for Mark O'Brien. While Lewin's film is not visually striking, it is a film about intimacy and the emotional weight of the characters and there goals.  

7 "Life of Pi" by Ang Lee



Lyrical and absorbing are some of the words to describe this philosophical piece. The film tells the story A young man who survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor a fearsome Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. Ang Lee's latest film captures some of the most beautiful images of the year with an intoxicating score by Mychael Danna. It also boasts from impressive visual effects and impeccable production design. However the most outstanding part of the film is the depth in the story that will leave audiences shocked and heartbroken. Additionally Suraj Sharma's performance is career making. 


6 "Silver Linings Playbook" by David O. Russell




David O. Russell always speaks of how he wants to make his films raw and emotional. In Silver Linings Playbook, Russell does exactly that with the overplayed romantic comedy. He subverts the conventions of the genre with two unlikely people falling in love. Pat Solitano played brilliantly by Bradley Cooper is a mentally ill man who falls in love with Tiffany a depressed women who is trying to overcome the death of her husband. Russell's story is nothing new and audiences know where it will end. What is so refreshing is his actor's performances, the freedom of his camera, the nuance of his mis en scene, and most importantly the reality of the circumstances. Unlike most romantic comedies which contain superficiality, these characters are broken and through their relationship they find healing. Jennifer Lawrence easily demonstrates why she is becoming Hollywood's top young star while Cooper shows that he can get away from the Hollywood stereotype. Robert De Niro returns to his prime of acting and Jacki Weaver is Pat's tender mother.  

5 "Moonrise Kingdom" by Wes Anderson



Wes Anderson's latest film is a fantastical love story that is both quirky and filled with a lot of heart. Moonrise Kingdom boasts from the Best Cast of the year and impressive script by the director and Roman Coppola.  The film tells the story of a pair of young lovers who flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them. The final storm sequence is one of the most riveting, funny and thrilling moments in film this year.  

4  "Argo" by Ben Affleck



Ben Affleck's third film is by far his best to date. It is a tense ride that will leave audiences applauding and cheering by the end. Chris Terrio's script seamlessly blends drama and comedy and Affleck  is able to build solid characters with a cast of new comers and all stars. Alexasandre Desplat's score is beautifully packed with diverse colors and Rodrigo Pieto's gritty cinematography helps to build the tension. Without a doubt Argo is by far the best thrill ride of the year.

3"Amour" by Michael Haneke



Michael Haneke's Palm D'Or winner is a visually beautiful film that may feel distant to many but captures the reality of two old souls facing the last days of their lives. Led by spectacular turns by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, Amour is a devastating and a cathartic film that leaves audiences thinking and asking if something like it could ever happen.

2 "The Master" by Paul Thomas Anderson



Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film is edgy and unconventional  The film is messy in structure but tense and will leave audiences wondering what they ended up seeing. Anderson asks many question but does not answer many. The result is a film that is unforgettable and one I was unable to stop thinking about. The performances are also unforgettable with Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivering tour de force turns. Their processing scene is one of the best acted scenes of the year and one that will leave audiences blown away. Amy Adams gives her best turn to date in a Lady Macbeth type role. Jack Fisk and Milhai Malaimare offer some of the best visuals of the year while John Greenwood gives an eerie and off putting score. Anderson once again delivers one of the most provocative films this year. 

1 "Zero Dark Thirty" by Kathryn Bigelow


Controversial, stunning, inmate and a tour de force are some words to describe, the best film this year. Kathryn Bigelow brings a ten year manhunt to a tense two and a half hour film that never takes sides. Bigelow's is unrelenting showing the death of various CIA agents as well as provocative torture scenes. But what is most captivating is the last climactic infiltration of the compound where Bin Laden is hiding. It is easily the most exhilarating and suspenseful action sequence of the year with the use of excellent sound effects, slow editing, and Greg Fraiser's dark cinematography. Jessica Chastain's triumphant lead role is also one of the best performances of the year and she leads an incredible cast that also includes Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke and Jennifer Ehle. Zero Dark Thirty is by far the film that will be remembered in years to come and one that will be talked about in years to come. 
  
To check out last years top ten click here.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Life of Pi wins the VES Awards


Life of Pi won the  4 awards at VES awards including the top award for visual effects. The Impossible and Brave won top awards as well. 
List of winners

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Wreck it Ralph wins the Annie Awards


Wreck it Ralph has become the front runner for the Animated film an award that has split pundits all around. The Annie awards have predicted many of the Oscar winners.

Art Directors Guild Winners


Anna karenina and Life of Pi have won the Art Director's Guild making the two films the front runner's
 for best Art Direction at the Oscars 
Winners

Ben Affleck wins the DGA


Ben Affleck's Argo won the Directors Guild of America making the film the front runner for best picture. The film has already won three out of four guilds and by the looks of it, Argo may go home with best screenplay making it a lock for best film at the Oscars. No film in the history of the guilds has ever won all four guilds and lost the Oscars.