First Oscar predictions: Best Costume Design

From here out Oscar season begins. Here are my first predictions in the category of costume design

This is probably one of the easiest categories to predict as Academy always goes for the period costume or the fantasy element.

The following are no specific order


1. Sandy Powell-Hugo-The Academy Awards seem to always love nominating Powell. Her work is detailed and beautiful. She has won 3 Oscars and has been nominated for 9. This film is showy and has magical elements which should prove a plus for Powell for Academy voters.



2. Ariane Phillips-W.E.-Though the film was poorly reviewed out of Venice, Phillips' costumes were complimented for the detail. Period dramas are usually given recognition for their costumes even if the film isn't great. Phillips whose been nominated for 1 Oscar may be on track for her second.


3. Michael O'Connor-Jane Eyre-This may be a lock as his costumes are sumptuous and lavish but also subtle. They are striking but they don't distract from the drama. However this may be a problem as the academy is always looking for eye candy. O'Connor may have an uphill battle this year as the film came out in March and the costumes are not distracting but I feel confident that the Academy will keep him in the run this year. O'Connor was last nominated for the Duchess and won.

4. Denise Cronenberg-A Dangerous Method-After its Venice premiere Cronenberg's film was acclaimed for its elegant style. Denise Cronenberg has never been nominated for an Oscar but this may be her chance. As I've stated period films get most of the attention and this film is already getting a lot of attention.



5. Mark Bridges-The Artist-The film received raves at Cannes and now it is getting a lot of attention. Mark Bridges' costumes recreate the 1920s dress, a task that is very difficult especially when the film is also trying to recreate the silent film. These costumes may not be locks but they definitely have a chance.

OTHER CONTENDERS

These are other films that have chances but I find them to be less likely to make the top five.

Sharon Davis-The Help-Colorful costumes are eye candy for voters. Plus Sharon Davis was already nominated twice for similar work.






Anna B. Sheppard-Captain America:The First Avenger-Beautiful superhero costumes combined with war and period costumes equals a likely chance of a nomination.





The list is endless but at the moment these are my top 7 picks that I think have the best possibilities of getting nominated.

Crazy, Stupid Love Review

Just got back from finally seeing "Crazy, Stupid Love." I will provide the disclaimer that I do not like Romantic Comedies. I find them formulaic, redundant, and usually lacking in the charm and wit you would expect from the comedy genre. More and more, they have come to rely on safe toilet jokes that are funny the first time because of their shock value, but will undoubtedly be unable to provide a repeat performance and effect. Finally, they are generally littered with actors who while able to provide the comic thrills, are unable to really provide further depth to the characters they are portraying, rendering the story without much depth. When I first saw the trailer to "Crazy, Stupid Love," I was actually left with the desire to watch the film.A diverse cast of characters engaged in different stages of love seemed like it could provide a deep perspective on love in all its forms. The fact that the film contained top-flight actors such as Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Marisa Tomei who's body of work usually fails to disappoint, and you are left with great hope. The rest of the cast, which includes the ever hilarious Steve Carrell, the promising Emma Stone, and even Kevin Bacon, is just the icing on the cake.

And I must say that it surely did not disappoint. The performances were top notch led by the scene-stealing Ryan Gosling at his most charismatic. Marisa Tomei, whose role seems prepped up to be bigger in the trailer, maintains that level of quality that one comes to expect from her with the limited screen time she gets. The rest of the cast provides sufficient depth and personality to the clever script by Dan Fogelman. The script never ceases to run out of new ways to surprise with the unexpected and takes sufficient risks to jolt in new directions without any anticipation. I also appreciated the fact that Fogelman has no quams at poking fun, not only at its own story's absurdities/cliches, but the genre's conventions as well. That isn't to say that the story does not unfold like your typical romantic comedy. It still follows the conventions, particularly later in the film, but Fogelman and directors John Requa and Glen Ficarra are careful to maintain the focus on the characters in order to pay off the audience's investment properly. We know where the story is headed (and even the ending is slightly open-ended that we are almost allowed our own conclusion), but the actual journey makes the it all worthwhile.

The film is not without its own flaws however. Without revealing too much, some of the characters do not get the sufficient amount of attention that one would expect. When the stories converge unexpectedly and then charge to their conclusion, you still get the sense that one particular story, which proves to be more important than anticipated, gets the short end in comparison with the rest and ultimately feels a bit rushed and underdeveloped. This is particularly noticeable when it is placed in the thematic context that the film seeks to express. The film seems interested in exploring the complex nature of love and relationships, and this particular story (because of its being rushed into the film in the final third) seems a bit generic when compared with other relationships that are explored.

Nonetheless, the script's honest attempt at true depth coupled with a brilliant cast and energetic direction provide for one of the finest films (thus far) of 2011 and surely the best romantic comedy of the year.

New York Film Festival

The New York Film Festival has just announced their lineup and the usual suspects return to the festivals. "Carnage" by Roman Polanski opens the festival on September 30 while "The Skin I live in" by Pedro Almodovar and "A Dangerous Method" by David Cronenberg have Gala presentations. All three of these films are being released by Sony Classic Pictures in time for an awards run. 

The new film that has had little or no buzz is "My Week with Marilyn". The film was predicted to have its world  premiere in Toronto or Venice but did not end up in the lineup. The film is about Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier's, who documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe's during production of the Prince and the Showgirl. The film which will be released in November by the Weinstein Company will have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival..



Other high profile films include "The Descendants" by Alexander Payne and "Melancholia" by Lars Von Trier. The Film Festival begin on September 30 and ends October 16

Let the Summer Begin

That title is not a mistake. Nor is this article being printed too late into the summer. It is actually August 6 and Hollywood is already starting the arms race of Summer 2012. This summer has been met with disastrous results for the age-old assembly line that is Hollywood. At the moment Harry Potter's grand finale is slated to be the summer's big grosser and it is only slated to reel in no more than $360 million (according to box office analysts). That is a far cry from summers past (Toy Story grossed $415 million last year, Transformers grossed $402 million in 2009, The Dark Knight $533 million in 2008). 2007 is the last time Hollywood had a film that grossed less than $400 million at the box office and even that year 4 films hit the $300 million mark in the summer.

This year has only seen 2 films reach that feat in the face of multiple films underperforming tremendously. Below is a list of tentpoles that were expected to reel in tremendous grosses and failed to succeed.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($238 million; however all of its predecessors made at least $300 million, with the second film making well north of $400 million.). It is important to note that it did well overseas, but it is pretty clear the USA is growing restless of Johnny Depp's idiosyncratic pirate.

2. Cars 2 ($183 million). The first Cars made $244 million and this sequel (which is the worst reviewed Pixar film to date) gained the distinction of being the first Pixar film to not make $200 million since Bug's Life and Toy Story).

This film has provided Pixar with its first true humbling experience (unless you count the 2006 Oscars where they lose the Best Animated Picture award to Warner Brothers' Happy Feet. Their film that year was... Cars (the first one). 

3. X-men: First Class ($144 million) The worst grossing of all X-men films and yet many critics considered it to be the best of the lot.

4. Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America. After Iron Man's big hit of $300+ million, the studios felt the need to market lesser known Super Heros to mediocre results. Thor has barely surpassed its budget of $150 million with a gross of $180 million and Captain America ($133 million) is likely to creep past the $140 million that it cost to make. However, Green Lantern is more than $80 million away from its $200 million and is almost certainly not going anywhere. They all won opening weekends, but did not impress in their debuts.




I''ll even add that Harry Potter and Transformers, both of which had impressive openings (a recording breaking $94 million on the opening day for Harry Potter followed by a record setting $168 million) saw their grosses drop steeply from week to week. Keep in mind that this is reflective mainly of the American box office which is still the standard for most studios.

So what does any of this have to do with starting next summer early? Well, if you have been following the industry, you may have noticed what Sony, Warner Brothers, and Marvel have been up to of late. In case you have no idea what I am talking about, here you go:


The Dark Knight Rises - Teaser Trailer Officiel... by Lyricis

In a matter of weeks, all this (and much much more) information has flourished on the internet for films that are coming out next years. The trailers to "The Dark Knight Rises" and the Spiderman film all came out "accidently" online a day after each other. Then the official trailers were released a bit after. Coincidence? I think not. Then images of The Avengers film and a subsequent trailer also made their debut after the other two big juggernauts of next summer showed off their weapons. But it did not end there. Warner Brothers has constantly released images from the upcoming Dark Knight film almost on a daily basis. Sony has already announced the RELEASE DATE (May 4, 2014 for those interested) for the SEQUEL (yes the sequel) to the reboot of the Spiderman series before the franchise restarting film has even come out. How do they know that it's even going to be good? They probably don't but they want to create a sense of optimism around this film by already extending confidence in a sequel. Clearly these are the big contenders for next summer and the studios know that if they want to maintain enormous profits in the face of an unstable market, they have to hype the crap out of these films to ensure that people do not forget them for the next few months leading up to Oscar season.

It will be interesting to see how many more trailers these companies release for their films to up the hype. For Harry Potter's grand finale Warner Brothers released a whopping 3 trailers for the film (and that doesn't include the teasers). You get the feeling that Warner Brothers will likely send off the Batman franchise (for now) in similar fashion. Sony will probably want to usher in the Spiderman series in similar fashion. As for the Avengers, they are just hoping to stay afloat in the face of the two franchise titans. Who wins is still an entire year away. 

Venice Film festival unveils their lineup.

By Francisco Salazar

A few days ago Venice film festival announced their lineup. The festival marks the  beginning of an awards run for a number of films that will be in search of Oscar nominations come January. At Venice a number films have won awards at the festival and later went on to win or get nominated for Oscars. Such films include The Wrestler, A Single Man, Atonement and The Queen. This year’s slot includes anticipated films such as A Dangerous Method, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Wuthering Heights, W.E., Carnage, Shame and The Ides of March. From these films I will preview the films I most anticipate.

A Dangerous Method marks David Cronenberg’s third film with Viggo Mortensen. The film also stars Vincent Cassel, Keira Knightley and Michael Fassbender. Christpher Hampton who wrote the script for Atonement wrote the script based on the play The Talking Cure. The film is a look at the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud which gives birth to psychoanalysis. The film was picked up by Sony Classics but has no release date. However based on Sony’s screenings there is a lot of buzz for Keira Knightley for an Oscar nomination. While the trailer may show us the usual period conventions,David Cronenberg’s style of film making genreally never falls into genre conventions. It may be a biased opinion, given my love for period pieces but A Dangerous Method gets my vote for my most anticipated film in the festival.

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy marks Tomas Alfredson’s second film featuring an extraordinary cast that includes Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt and Mark Strong. Based on John LeCarre's book, the film takes place in the Cold War and follows espionage veteran George Smiley who is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.Tomas Alfredson’s last film "Let the Right One" was a beautifully told love story which provided great tone and wonderful acting. From the looks of the trailer the film will have powerful acting and definitely have a dark tone. Gary Oldman is one of the most underrated actors to date and it is refreshing to see him in a lead role for the first time in years. Colin Firth, who is hot off his Oscar, will most likely give another great performance.  In addition Tom Hardy who stole many a scene  in "Inception" will definitely add wit to the film. My only fear is that many foreign directors have had difficult times adjusting to Hollywood, often sacrificing what made their previous efforts so respectable. However I have a feeling that this one will be one of the surprises.

"Carnage" by Roman Polanski based on "God of Carnage" by Yazmina Reza is another anticipated Sony Classics release. The film stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reily and Christoph Waltz. While the concept sounds uninteresting because of the fact that it is only four actors who meet and talk, it is interesting to see what Roman Polanski pulls off. Many may say that Polanski is no longer in his prime but if "Ghost Writer" is an example of what he is still capable of doing, "Carnage" and its tremendous cast will most undoubtedly be thrilling.

The last of my most anticipated is "The Ides of March" directed by George Clooney. The film stars Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jeffrey Wright.  This political thriller  follows the story of an idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate who gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. The film is based on the play by Beau Willimon. Clooney specializes and excels in this material and the trailer shows promise. If Good Night and Good Luck is proof of what Clooney is capable of as a director, "Ides" (which opens the festival) will most likely be a huge success.       

"Shame", "W.E." and "Wuthering Heights" will also open and while I haven’t mentioned them in this preview, these films will most likely be huge hits as they look for distribution and rave reviews to go for Oscar runs. More Venice updates when the festival opens on August 31.     

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review for Buzzlegoose

I just published a review for the final Harry Potter film on Buzzlegoose.com. I am attaching a preview on this log, but I am also importing a link to the website. I believe this to be my definitive view on the film.

A preview of review from Buzzlegoose:  Ten years ago, Warner Brothers brought the world of J.K. Rowling’s ever popular Harry Potter series to the silver screen. Since then, the film series has traversed through both a fantastical and literal coming of age that has resonated with an entire generation of adults who were children when this phenomenon started. And now, as the hundreds of movie posters for what is arguably the boldest marketing campaign in recent memory states “It all ends.” That is arguably both the greatest and also most disappointing aspect of  Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final installment in this magnificent magnus opus. Great because it brings this saga to an emotionally resonant conclusion, but disappointing because it marks the end of what has been an unbelievable journey.

Most people that are watching this film likely know what it is this the picture that sets out to present: Harry, Ron, and Hermoine’s final battle with Voldemort and his massive army of death eaters. The trio takes up where they left in the somber, atmospheric Deathly Hallows: Part 1 of seeking out the ever-illusive  horcruxes (objects that contain parts of Voldemort’s soul). This takes them back to Gringott’s bank for the first time since 2001 in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Packed with a hilarious performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermoine (or vice versa) and a tremendously thrilling ride on a beautifully rendered CGI dragon, this sequence starts the motor of this thrilling film on an exhilarating pace. No sooner has this sequence ended then Harry and company are back to Hogwarts and an emotional reunion with old friends who (thanks to the firstDeathly Hallows film) have been sorely missed. It is one of the few moments of repose in this other-wise hyperactive film that makes us marvel at how much we actually have come to appreciate these characters. Right after that, the film kicks back into high gear, where it lurks for the majority of its remaining running time.

Full review on Buzzlegoose

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review

By David Salazar


10 years ago, when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone made it to the theaters, I was only 13 years old. I wouldn't call it a far-cry to state that I have actually grown up alongside this franchise and that for me, like the cast members in the films, it has been some sort of coming of age journey. I have always found the books and films emotionally resonant. The most likely reason is that despite her inability to develop and mature in her writing style (the books were always written with children's books prose), the stories and content of her works have matured throughout, making them easy to connect with for a budding adult. The filmmakers, starting with Alfonso Cuaron, caught on to this and adding this intensity and maturing to each film, built and crafted a finer work each time. And now, as the posters (plastered everywhere in what is the most impressive marketing campaign I have witnessed recent times) state: "It all ends." And it couldn't have done so in a more satisfying, emotionally resonant film. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 was remarkable for its decision to tame the pace and focus on building tension: between characters, between ambiance, between circumstances, and in the tone and style itself. Many claimed it to be slow and trying, but I found it to be a massive exhale from what has come to be expected from the traditional Hollywood blockbuster. Many felt that the decision to break up the final book was a sneaky scheme to inject more money into the studio's accounts and after the first film's lukewarm reception, the questioning did not cease. Well, after watching Part 2, it becomes quite clear why it was necessary. Yes, the film feels like a second part (again, which Harry Potter film can truly claim to stand on its own?) but having the book broken up into two features turned out to be a truly savvy idea. At 2 hours, not only does the film present tremendous action set pieces that marvel from start to finish (the ride through the bank and ensuing flight on a dragon, the epic battle of Hogwarts), but the film is also allowed to slow down and find more of those quiet moments that have truly made this film franchise soar and resonate with audiences for an entire decade. 

In series filled with a plethora of riveting moments, this film only adds to that tremendous library. Harry's realization of his destiny, the ensuing scene where he meets his long-lost loved ones, Neville's realization of who he is, Harry and Ginny's brisk, but sweet moment amid the battle, the resolution of the tension between Ron and Hermoine in the Chamber of Secrets, and most importantly, the fulfillment of Snape's character arc. This is quite possibly one of the most emotionally charged sequences in the entire saga and it is beautifully devastating in its portrayal. 

The cast is the best it has ever been in this series. Radcliffe leads the charge with his most subtle and emotional breakthrough thus far. Watson and Grint's chemistry pays off in a huge way. Maggie Smith comes back for what amounts to a brief speaking role, but she makes the most of her time with a delightfully sweet gesture after she calls up an army of stone soldiers. Matthew Lewis gives a heroic portrayal of the former coward in one of the best feel-good moments in an otherwise bleak film. But the scene stealers here are Ralph Fiennes (who finally gets more than 10 minutes of screen time) and Alan Rickman as the tragic hero of the film. Fiennes is the embodiment of the snake-like Satan, full with the danger and malice, but also the charm and elegance. Rickman, who is always implacable, shows increasing vulnerability that only makes his final revelation all the more satisfying.

From a technical perspective, this film is as complete as it can get. Eduardo Serra's cinematography, while not as powerful this time around is still remarkable in its ability to create atmosphere. Make no mistake, this is the darkest Potter film yet and the cinematography's bleak desaturated look only emphasizes this. When color is brought back into the picture for brief moments in the film, the effect is quite extraordinary.  Aleander Desplat once again proves why he is one of the great composers of this era. He evokes a score that amplifies the emotional content of the film, but without ever intruding upon it. In a classy gesture, Desplat sets aside his own music late in the film to bring back an unforgettable moment from John William's scores and brings the entire series full circle. It was a chilling, unforgettable moment. The CGI artists have created some of the most incredible effects in recent memory and while they are ever present throughout the film, they never get in the way of the emotional content of the story or seem to be the main attraction (most blockbuster can't claim the same, no examples necessary).

The true hero of this film is ultimately David Yates, who after 4 films has established his comfort and intimacy with the material. He may have had his pacing issues early on with the first few films, but these two last two films have shown an ability to not only balance that pace, but to provide the necessary payoff that this series desperately needed. It was on Yates to maintain a level of quality that Cuaron and Newell, and possibly even Columbus had created and Yates not only maintained it, but in many ways improved on it. It is truly rare to see a series that is based on sequels take so many steps forward in maturity and depth (just see Star Wars), and much less with so many differing creative forces. But with Harry Potter, Hollywood has potentially found its milestone. 

The film  does make a great deal of changes from the book which is likely to incite the wrath of many devotees.  While I was a bit bothered by some, I will say that certain changes certainly appeal more to the cinematic medium. The final encounter between Harry and Voldemort is one good example. Instead of a shouting match as envisioned by J.K. Rowling in the novel, Yates and company present us with a full-fledged battle between Harry and Voldemort as the rest of the wizards attempt to destroy Nagini, his snake. This adds a greater deal of energy and suspense from a visual standpoint than Rowling's original iteration, but by the same token does take away some of the epic nature of seeing Harry rise to the occasion and hurl venom at Voldemort in front of all the people that love and support him. To call the final encounter between the two anti-climatic may be a bit drastic, but it certainly lacks some of that emotional intensity from the book. Harry and Ginny rarely get to see each other much in this film and that left me a bit unsatisfied, though I will say that the few fleeting moments they share together are amongst the sweetest in the series and film. Dumbledore's character gets the shortchange as well, though with less resonant consequences in the grand scheme of the films. The rest can be said for any of the other alterations. 

The epilogue has always been controversial. The makeup is suspect here (though incredible in the rest of the film), but the ending presents us with an enduring message not only from the filmmakers but from Rowling and the characters of the films and books. Having Harry and company grow up one last time is a reminder of how far we've come in these past 10 years, but that it is truly time to move on. And it couldn't have been easier to say goodbye.  After 8 films of high quality, the epic saga comes to a close on a bittersweet, but fittingly magical conclusion. Deathly Hallows is far and away the best film in the series. 

By David Salazar