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Saturday 24 January 2015

Best Leading Actress 2014: Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

WARNING: The following review cannot be done without spoilers. So if you haven't seen the film, I recommend not reading it.
David Fincher definitely can create a fantastic and chilling atmosphere, especially in his late films. Gone Girl really is a fascinating story about and an unconventional relationship. Apart from the atmosphere, screenplay, or technical achievements, the performance of Ben Affleck is probably the most fascinating thing about it. I'm not going crazy about it, but it certainly is a very fine performance that even has got its depth, which is shocking from Affleck.
But the performance that really stands out of the otherwise very solid ensemble is Rosamund Pike's. She plays Amy, Affleck's character Nick's wife, who disappears. Before the twist, Amy is portrayed as some sort of femme fatale. As a beautiful and intelligent young woman, though very mysterious. She is mysterious in an inviting way. You won't have a hard time understanding, why Nick fell for her. Pike is great in portraying this kind of woman. She creates such atmosphere around her, that we want to find out, who is this woman? How does she think? In a metaphoric way, we fall in love with her through the screen.
Before the middle of the film, there is a twist. In that we find out that she rigged the missing and is on her way away from her husband. Though we find out something more about her, there is still a mystery around her. That is something I should probably criticise, but there is no reason to. She portrays Amy as a human being. I mean, every woman (or simply everyone) has got secrets. We never get under them, just as we never get under the secrets of people around us.
Amy is a very cruel woman. She not only does something to make his husband suffer for the marriage they had, but is in fact able to kill. Despite this I completely understand, why is this film so beloved among feminists. It shows woman, who has got her needs, feelings, cravings, as well as mistakes. That's why this performance is so human. Though she does something that is very bold, when she is threatened, she just as defenseless, as everyone else would be (the scene she is being robbed in).
There is a scene at the end of the film, where Amy watches Nick on TV confessing that he was cheating on Amy. Pike's acting the reaction is actually fantastic. She not only stays realistic, but her reaction is also very funny. We see that she's in shock, she doesn't understand what she's watching right now and she thinking about how it changes her plan and what must she do now. She achieves all that in just one look.
A great performances stays within you a long time after watching a film. But I can't think of any other performance in a while that would hit me that much. I was thinking about Amy, as I would be thinking about a strange person, if I met one. My attitude towards Amy was the same as towards a real person. That's something I cannot say about many performances and it might be the biggest proof of a fantastic performance...
The chances of winning an Oscar: The would be the second choice after Julianne Moore. But Julianne seems unbeatable right now...

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Best Leading Actress 2014: Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night

Many people ask me, why I don't like European or indie films. The answer is very simple. They are too life-like. Why do people watch films, or go to the theatre? So that they can escape reality and watch the other people's problems and enjoy watching it. So what is the purpose in making films, in which we witness the storyline so real and the performance so realistic, that it really seems as if we were watching reality shows? I see that many people worship that, but I only get bored by it. That's why I usually avoid European and indie film, because most of them (I'm saying most, because definitely not all of them) are just too naturalistic.
Unfortunately, Two Day, One Night is exactly that kind of film. Authentic and extremely boring. This one is even so unbearable, that I had moments, when I thought I need to stop watching immediately and never continue again.
Marion Cotillard plays a young woman, who had some psychical issues and therefore she was forced to not go to work. Now she's feeling better and wants to start working again, but she found out the situation is not that easy. It's either her working again, or her colleagues don't get the money bonus. So she takes an utterly exciting trip all around the neighbourhood and tries to explain all of her co-workers, how much she really needs the job.
Cotillard is a great actress. Since her Oscar win for La Vie en Rose she has been snubbed many times. It's a pity she got nominated exactly for this performance, since it's far from her best work since 2007 and it's even further from her most interesting work.
I know, her peformance is technically flawless. And that's it. That is all I can write about this performance, because there is nothing more to it. She copied the real life and now we can see it. The thing is, we don't want to see it. I know it's not her fault and in terms of acting, there can really be no complaint said. But...you know...when I think of this performance, the first word that comes to my mind is not 'perfect', but 'boring'. And that is definitely wrong.
No, I wouldn't nominate this performance, not even by an accident. I think we have Harvey to blame here, because she gave a better (and more interesting performance) in The Immigrant, whose campaign was unaccountably low. In that film she not only gave a better performance, but she even played a better character. This is a strange thing that happens often at the Oscars. An actor has two great performances in one year and he gets nominated for the worse one (e,g. Sean Penn in 2003). But what can we do?
The chances of winning: In fact they are higher than I'd appreciate. She's probably the third. But it would not look good in history, if she won her second Oscar for this particular performance... 

Thursday 15 January 2015

Next Year: Best Leading Actress 2014

The Nominees:
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore - Still Alice (predicted winner)
Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

So, this year's nominees are announced now. We have a surprise (Cotillard) and some snubs (Aniston, Adams), but anyway. Who do you think will win? What are your predictions for my pick? What are your nominees and winner? Tell us in comment! 

Wednesday 14 January 2015

Final Oscar Nominees Predictions!

Hi! I've put down my own predictions for this year. They are a bit braver, than you might expect, but who knows? I hope I get at least one upset right (because I have them among my predictions more). The films are written in the order of what I think is the probability of their nomination. Enjoy!

best picture:
Boyhood
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
American Sniper
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Gone Girl
Foxcatcher
alt.: Selma, Nightcrawler

directing:
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Alejandro Gonzáles Iňárritu – Birdman
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Clint Eastwood – American Sniper
alt.: Ava DuVernay – Selma, David Fincher – Gone Girl

original screenplay:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Birdman
Boyhood
Selma
Foxcatcher
alt.: Nightcrawler

adapted screenplay:
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
American Sniper
The Theory of Everything
alt.: Wild

leading actor:
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
alt.: Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler, David Oyelowo – Selma

leading actress:
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Amy Adams – Big Eyes
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Reese Witherspoon - Wild
alt.: Jennifer Aniston - Cake

supporting actor:
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
alt.: Robert Duvall – The Judge, Tom Wilkinson – Selma

supporting actress:
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Naomi Watts - St. Vincent (or Birdman)
alt.: Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer, Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year

cinematography:
Birdman
Unbroken
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Mr. Turner
alt.: Insterstellar, Gone Girl

art direction:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Into the Woods
Big Eyes
Snowpiercer
alt.: Interstellar, Mr. Turner, unbroken

costume design:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Into the Woods
Big Eyes
Maleficent
Mr. Turner
alt.: The Theory of Everything, Birdman

makeup:
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
alt.: The Theory of Everything

sound mixing:
American Sniper
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Birdman
Unbroken
alt.: Guardians of the Galaxy, Get On Up

sound editing:
American Sniper
Interstellar
Unbroken
Guardians of the Galaxy
Godzilla
alt.: Fury, The Lego Movie, Into the Woods

film editing:
Birdman
Boyhood
Whiplash
The Imitation Game
Gone Girl
alt.: American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel

original song:
Selma – Glory
The Lego Movie – Everything Is Awesome
Begin Again – Lost Stars
Big Eyes – Big Eyes
The song from Glen Campbell documentary
alt.: Noah – Mercy Is, Annie – Opportunity

original score:
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything
Gone Girl
Interstellar
Big Eyes
alt.: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Snowpiercer

visual effects:
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Interstellar
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Hobbit no. 3
Godzilla
alt.: Captain America 2, Transformers 4, or 5?

Thursday 1 January 2015

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone,
you must be probably thinking that I disappeared from the actual world, at least from the world online. No, I'm alive I have just been busy recently. I guess now is the time for a little conclusion of the year. And except for that, you deserve an article after a long long time. Especially, if there still is someone, who's remained reading this blog.
2014 was quite a successfull year for me. The greatest achievement that I have to share with you is that around April I have been accepted to the Academy of Performing Arts (yes, that young I am) and now I'm an official student of acting (in Europe). So, who knows? Maybe one day I'll have to review myself. (Just kidding, the probability of that is lower than the probability that tommorrow bananas will be raining.)
That is actually the reason, why I couldn't work on this blog. The school is really difficult in terms of time that I have to spend with/in it. So I want to apologize to you for the lack of articles and reviews and promise you that in next few weeks I'll review all the acting categories of this year's Oscars and maybe I'll also finish leading actor 1994, so that I could go on reviewing in my free time.
Now I'm going to put down my nominees for best performances I have seen in 2014 (no matter what year the film was released in and for this special award even TV performances are eligible) - though I must have seen the film for the first time. Here they are:

leading actor:
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Twelve Years a SlaveChristian Bale – American Hustle
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Mark Ruffalo – The Normal Heart
Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel

leading actress:
Bette Midler – Gypsy (1993 TV)
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

supporting actor:
Charlie Cox – The Theory of Everything
Daniel Bruhl – Rush
Matt Bomer – The Normal Heart
Michael Fassbender – Twelve Years a Slave
Robert Duvall – The Judge

supporting actress:
Cynthia Gibb – Gypsy (1993 TV)
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
Julia Roberts – The Normal Heart
Sarah Paulson – Twelve Years a Slave
Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer