Summing Up 2011...My Top 20 Picks

So I've watched pretty much every single movie I planned to watch and it's probably time I summed it up once and for all and went on with the year of 2012. 

20 -  X-Men: First Class

What's better to expect in a summer of blockbusters than the return of a great series with some surprises to offer that actually makes the series even more lovable? "First Class" successfully managed to go easy with the crazy visuals and focus more on character development, which is indeed a job well done. The prequel is still presented in an atmosphere of uncertainty despite the existence of the the 3 original "X-Men" movies, and the consolidation of personalities of the two leading roles through a well-written story generates nothing but more love from fans.

19 - Margin Call 

"Margin Call" is masterful as a thriller built on an excellent script, fitting dialogue and solid acting. It also has a touch of documentary back in the days when the financial turmoil had just started. The thriller carries its different moral values held by different characters. Those values are motivated in different ways, and when a financial market crisis hits a company head-on and its employees are expecting what most outsiders are not expecting so soon, the values and actions clash and conflicts arise. Perhaps it's not a thriller in the conventional sense, but still it has the right elements.

18 -  We Need to Talk About Kevin

Resting in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a ultimately depressing and incredible dark-themed story. This is definitely not aiming at a wide audience, but the way it depicts a journey of a "monster" is intriguing. Don't expect a cause-and-effect relationship and try to be the clever guy to link the stuff together, because it certainly does not work that way in this movie. The appreciation for this greatly-crafted piece sets in when it comes to the performances and the understanding of the dark side of mankind, and of course the real fear lies in the very question: Can someone be "born evil"?

17 - The Art of Getting By

A light and relaxing flick about hard work is what "The Art of Getting By" is. Beside the fascinating performances by Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore, the movie brings messages, encourage and satisfaction. Centering around a school-boy who never works hard in his life, it is his encounter with another, and an unforeseen change that is injected into his life.

16 - We Bought a Zoo

In this movie in a zoo, we can take away invaluable time lessons and have a blast. Matt Damon plays an adventurer at heart whose wife has just died. He has to find the new meaning in his life by following his dream and in the meantime he also has to take care of his two children. The story is about how he strikes a balance between the two, and how he overcomes hardships. "We Bought a Zoo" is perfect for a whole family to watch and learn from.

15 -  Another Happy Day

It is not the kind that makes you feel all good and laugh when you walk out of the cinema but it is the kind that has a lot of depth. The ensemble of performances is superb and the portrait of the family involved in the movie is comprehensive and detailed. The accumulation of fear and anger of a mother when she visits her parents is progressively displayed by her gradually aggressive behavior. While the old generation is taken care of, the story does not in any way neglect the issues of the younger members in the family, as they are another focus of the plot.

14 - That's What I Am

Yes, you don't have to ask. Ed Harris is outstanding. I'd consider this a better alternative for "Terri", which has a similar theme. "That's What I Am" revolves around a regular kid and an outsider in the crowd. You know, the odd one out. The nerd, the retarded, whatever names you're giving the one that doesn't fit in. You guessed it right. It is about how the regular one discovers there's a lot more to the outsider than what he seems. It's that predictable, but it's still a great movie. You'll have to watch it yourself to see the greatness behind, but as the title suggests, the message thoroughly given through out the movie is that you should be who you are and you should be proud of yourself, like the characters in the movie are.

13 - Win Win 

Win Win's a pretty darn good comedy. The movie never fails at making you laugh, and close to end it gets more satisfying than that. A simplistic comedy is transformed into a moving drama that has the power to make you cry. I believe I don't have to mention that Paul Giamatti is in-fxxxing-credibly good and so are most of the rest of the cast. It's released pretty early in the year so it may not be so well remembered. But that's when my list-making serves me well and stops me from committing the terrible mistake of excluding this in my year-end top films list.

12 - Rise of the Planet of Apes

Looking back, this summer has really given us a great bunch of good choices for us movie-goers. James Franco as a nurturing father of an ape and the establishment of the ape itself as the central character of the entire movie are rewarding enough, and then there are the breath-taking stunts and the heavy involvement of CGI. Thank you Andy Serkis. You gave us a living and wonderfully human-like ape with various emotions. As for the story itself, it is not to be called a masterpiece, but it's still brilliant.

11 - Bridesmaids

A movie that chicks rule. A movie that men have no place. Yet a movie that not only women but men also enjoy. "Bridesmaids" is hilarious and is a milestone for all-female films. Not only is it funny, it also holds some of the best performances of the year. Kristen Wiig's jealousy shown in her funny acts and Melissa McCarthy with her laugh-generating moments that can make everyone roll on the floor laughing, these are all reasons that "Bridesmaids" is great.

10 - War Horse

If you say "War Horse" is the best movie of the year, I wouldn't really agree. However, if you say it is amazing, I would most definitely nod. Steven Spielberg is good, and "War Horse" lets us witness one thing: Even if Spielberg is not at his best, he is still good. You can complain it's all the old tricks Spielberg has played before, and you can complain about the usual cliches. But if I were you, I would praise and appreciate the movie for its beautiful story about a horse, and us, humans. As Spielberg says (though I don't totally agree), "War Horse" is not a war movie, but rather a movie about how a horse that goes through war pulling humans together. Instead of whining, you can also be loving its flawless cinematography and its great music. As usual, Spielberg has done something unique, and this is certainly a movie to be remembered.

9 -Moneyball

First of all, there are the great performances from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Then we have a sports movie, and a not-so-typical one at that. Moneyball is clearly an attempt to study baseball in the statistic and commercial side, and while that is totally prevailing, the important message of tireless striving is not diminished. You may be able to win by analyzing in depth the various statistics but you still have to be bothered to put efforts into that. Moneyball is also sentimental at times and when it comes to those times the movie is still highly effective. 

8 - Real Steel 

Right, extremely appealing visual effects. But this time they're not overdone, and we're also rewarded with a thrilling and ultimately touching story. Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo are exceptionally excellent with their mending father-son relationship, and along its development we're taken on a ride of exciting robot-boxing. "Real Steel" pretty much has it all. It's moving. It has stunning visuals. It's ever-exciting without boring scenes. Perhaps the only thing that it lacks is depth, but I don't think that is always necessary for a movie to be good. For this genre of movie, it's already 10 times better than many.

7 - Drive

"Drive" may not be a masterpiece, but it's indeed very stylish. And the fact that it has its very own style will make it a memorable movie for at least years. Don't get me wrong. The storytelling is not weak though I wouldn't call it top-class. Albert Brooks is the perfect evil bastard, and Ryan Gosling's mask-like look hides a true hero. "Drive" is full of violence, but it soars from the good heart of our driver-hero and his driver-jacket.

6 - The Artist

Unique. No, it should be very unique. It was shot in black-and-white. Not shocking enough? It's a silent film. You know, the kind in which people don't speak, the kind with fancy background music playing. These seem to all be turn-downs for the audience, but "The Artist" turned it all around and made them the very things to love in this love letter to Hollywood. There's not much to complain about this movie, but when it comes to my preference, it's not No. 1. Why? Well, I think the reason why this is good is that it's special. I mean, think of it: Shooting a black-and-white silent movie when 3D and effects are emphasized. It's indeed a hell of an attempt, and great courage. So it's success is based on its being special, and well, I also can't deny the great acting. But it stops there for me. "The Artist", in my book, is just a very good film with good performances that is special because of the time it sets foot on, but is not what I would call a movie of the year.


5 - Crazy, Stupid, Love

Funny? Yes, it's very funny. I laughed almost from the beginning to the end. Touching? Yes, it has its share of sentimental moments and some very moving moments especially near the end. So what we have here is a combination of super-funny movie and a highly touching story. There's also the message, which encourages us to fight for love. It may not be the serious kind, but it's brilliant.

4 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

No, if you for a second think I would leave HP out of list like the Academy did you're so wrong. But I'm so not doing this because it's the last installment. It's because it's good. I mean, really good. In fact, out of the eight Harry Potter films, this will undoubtedly be the best, mostly because of the ending. The usual downside of the previous HP films is that they often have not given the best endings, but this one is not the case. This complete finish of a saga has given the film much more power. The performances and visual effects also seem to be the best I've seen in the series. Know what would be better? Combine HP 7.1 and HP 7.2.

3 - The Help

"The Help" marks Emma Stone's potential as a serious drama actress. As for the film itself, it is indeed dealing with a familiar topic. But it's effective, and it's very, very, very touching. It's hard not to have tears rolling down your faces or not to at least get watery eyes when the movie is ending. Other than that, it has one of the best ensembles of the year. On another level, it is also a very hilarious movie. I mean, who didn't laugh when Jessica Chastain ate sh!t. 

2 - The Descendants

"The Descendants" is a very nice combination of drama and comedy. Hidden behind the story are two great performances by Clooney and Woodley. Alexander Payne is great for making something so simple so great. Set in Hawaii, "The Descendants" tells the story of a struggling family after the mother's death. Clooney investigates his dead wife's affair while at the same time tries to be a good father for the kids.

1 - Hugo/Super 8 

It's hard to pick one, so it becomes two. Plus the fact that they are quite hard to compare. 

"Hugo" brings 3D to a whole new level and behind the overwhelming effects it is a touching story that brings us to the beginning of films. Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley offer two incredible performances that make the movie even better.

What can I say? I loved ET. I can't say "Super 8" is totally original but so what? It's exciting and touching, and a suitable amount of horror is put into the story. And the train wreck scene, it just marked my best minute of the year.

Troye Dchgl' Oscar Winner Predictions

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

The Artist and The Descendants were said to be frontrunners, right? But with The Descendants receiving merely five nominations (though those are the said to be the most determining categories for BP), it is not looking good for this modern-day drama set in Hawaii. The Artist's nods double that, and with all the awards it has won before the nominations it is quite a safe bet to pick.

However, I'm not losing anything if I guess wrong so I'd go with the dangerous choice here. Hugo takes home Best Picture, not because it is my personal favorite, but because of the wide support and love for Martin Scorsese as a legendary director and for his truly amazing usage of 3D that has re-defined the term "visual effects" in his family film. So however slight the chance may be, I'm putting Hugo on top of The Artist here, and I'm predicting it to be the first 3D film to win Best Picture.


Best Leading Actor:

Demián Bichir for A Better Life

George Clooney for The Descendants

Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Bichir and Oldman are the two odd ones out in this category. Their surprising nods are surprising enough, and we can probably agree on the fact that these two can be taken out of consideration when it comes down to who actually has a shot of winning. They are less mentioned, and more importantly, their performances are not from BP nominees.

Clooney and Dujardin are the frontrunners that surface here, and after them it has to be Pitt, but how far behind is Pitt? No one knows. No matter The Artist wins BP or not, I still pick Clooney to receive the honor in this group of competitors.


Best Leading Actress:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis for The Help

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

I do not think Meryl Streep will win on account of two reasons. First, The Iron Lady as a movie does not favor many. Second, it has been the habit of the Academy since Streep's last win to keep nominating her but not letting her win. The Iron Lady does not appear to provide a turning point here for the voters.

If Streep is out, Viola Davis has the biggest chance of all. The Help is a crowd-pleaser as well as the greatest box-office hit among the BP nominees, plus its acting is what makes the movie so strong and Viola Davis has certainly contributed a lot to this strength.

Michelle Williams and Glenn Close should not be far behind in this race while Rooney Mara probably won't win.

Best Supporting Actor:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Nick Nolte for Warrior

Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

It's been Plummer since the very beginning. It has to be him. Enough said.

Best Supporting Actress:
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist

Jessica Chastain for The Help

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer for The Help

My picks are Spencer and Chastain, but Spencer has a stronger boost from the awards she has already won for her performance. If the Academy gets too crazy about The Artist, Bejo may have a shot here.


Best Director:

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne for The Descendants

Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Since this usually holds hands with Best Picture, I'm picking Scorsese because I've picked Hugo. But even if The Artist wins BP, Scorsese may still have a shot. This looks like one of those years when there is possibility for a mismatch between BP and Best Director.

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist : Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids : Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Margin Call : J.C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris : Woody Allen

A Separation : Asghar Farhadi

Though Allen may not even bother to show up, this award is going to be his. I would say Bridesmaids and Margin Call have no chance at all. To be honest, I would nominate 50/50 an Win Win instead of these two, but obviously the Academy disagrees with most.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Descendants : Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Hugo : John Logan

The Ides of March : George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball : Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy : Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

I think it's 3-way match between The Descendants, Hugo and Moneyball. Of these three, I think the Academy will award Moneyball for this, and it will probably be the only win out of the 6 nods Moneyball scored.

Best Animated Feature:

A Cat in Paris : Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli

Chico & Rita : Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

Kung Fu Panda 2 : Jennifer Yuh

Puss in Boots : Chris Miller

Rango : Gore Verbinski

This has to be the hardest-to-predict category in this year's Oscar. If Tintin's not here, can you think of anyone that can even come close to Rango? I don't think so.

But brace yourself. Expect the unexpected. If the Academy can make this category's nods so shocking, they may as well do the same when it comes to announcing the winner.


Best Foreign Language Film:

Bullhead : Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)

Footnote : Joseph Cedar(Israel)

In Darkness : Agnieszka Holland(Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar : Philippe Falardeau(Canada)

A Separation : Asghar Farhadi(Iran)

The simple fact that A Separation nailed a nomination for Original Screenplay proves only one thing - it is going to win this category.

Best Cinematography:

The Artist : Guillaume Schiffman

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Jeff Cronenweth

Hugo : Robert Richardson

The Tree of Life : Emmanuel Lubezki

War Horse : Janusz Kaminski

Except for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, anyone that wins here won't surprise me much, but I'm personally going for The Tree of Life, and it is probably the only potential win that the movie has in store.


Best Editing:

The Artist : Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants : Kevin Tent

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

Hugo : Thelma Schoonmaker

Moneyball : Christopher Tellefsen

Hugo is my BP pick, and since this is most of the time associated with BP, I'd pick Hugo here too. I think only The Artist, The Descendants and Hugo can win here, and whichever wins it will probably also take BP.


Best Art Direction:

The Artist : Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

Midnight in Paris : Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil

War Horse : Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

The Academy may finally decide to award the Harry Potter series its first and probably the only Oscar here, but I still think Hugo is the most-deserving candidate in this category and will most likely win.


Best Costume Design:

Anonymous : Lisy Christl

The Artist : Mark Bridges

Hugo : Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre : Michael O'Connor

W.E. : Arianne Phillips

It's a hard to predict this category, but if the Academy decides to award BP nominees, it will be a stiff competition between Hugo and The Artist.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs : Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

The Iron Lady : Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland

Again, it may be the first and only Oscar the Potter series will get. The Academy may as well decide to let the wish of many come true in this less crowded category.

Best Original Score:

The Adventures of Tintin : John Williams

The Artist : Ludovic Bource

Hugo : Howard Shore

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy : Alberto Iglesias

War Horse : John Williams

The Artist is great at this, but the score in Hugo by Howard Score is simply beautiful.

Best Original Song:

The Muppets : Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")

Rio : Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett("Real in Rio")

I still can't stop thinking about the fact that there are only two nominees. While I'm still whining about the missing Living Proof, it is going to be Man or Muppet.

Best Sound Mixing:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson

Hugo : Tom Fleischman, John Midgley

Moneyball : Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, Ed Novick

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin

War Horse : Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson

Best Sound Editing:

Drive : Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Ren Klyce

Hugo : Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

War Horse : Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom

What can I say? Hugo is masterful on the technical aspects. It is a film so well-crafted down to every little detail.

Best Visual Effects:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson

Hugo : Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning

Real Steel : Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg

Rise of the Planet of the Apes : Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, John Frazier

How often does a BP win Visual Effects? Well, not often, but this may be the year for such a thing to happen. I would say Rise of the Planet of the Apes equally deserves this award, and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be Potter.

OVERALL PREDICTION
- Hugo - 9 wins
- The Help - 2 wins
- Beginners - 1 win
- The Descendants - 1 win
- Midnight in Paris - 1 win
- Moneyball - 1 win
- Rango - 1 win
- A Separation - 1 win
- The Tree of Life - 1 win
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - 1 win
- The Muppets - 1 win

What have I done? I've just predicted The Artist to be last year's True Grit (10 nods and no win). How silly of me. Well, I'm going to stick to my predictions. If Hugo wins fewer, the ones that it doesn't win probably will go to The Artist. The same happens to the ones that The Artist doesn't win. I'm just expecting a scenario that the awards are all headed for one direction, but believe me, it is a possible scenario.

Now all I have to do is just sit back and wait for the Feb 26.

Oscar Nods, Snubs and Surprises

Highlighted titles are the ones that I predicted.

Best Picture:

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Snubs:
None from where I'm standing

Surprises: 
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. After being snubbed by major guilds and the Golden Globes, it is indeed quite a shock to see this movie here. But I'm happy it's made it into the race. Stephen Daldry needs to be congratulated for his directorial work. All four of his directed motion pictures are capable competitors of the Oscars, and while he hasn't squeezed into the crowded field of Best Director this year to shoot for a 4/4 record, his picture is still in the biggest race.

The Tree of Life may be less of a surprise. It probably only means that though it is arguably the most ambitious films in decades, the picture and the well-loved director Terrence Malick have earned enough first-place votes for this work. It is a great example of how films benefit under the new 5% rule. Perhaps the majority doesn't like The Tree of Life, but some really love it, so it's still in because it has obtained the 5% first-place ballots required.

9 Pictures. It's definitely a surprise. I've heard people guessing there will be 7-8 pictures, and some 6, and some even say 5. But from what I remember, very few predicted 9. (I came up with 8)

Best Leading Actor:
Demián Bichir - A Better Life

George Clooney - The Descendants

Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt - Moneyball

Snubs:
Leo Dicaprio - J. Edgar. I don't think he is superb but I thought he would get nominated anyway. Now it seems that his spot is stolen by Demián Bichir or Gary Oldman

Michael Fassbender - Shame. His performance in Shame is completely in another level and I don't know how that certain performance can be compared to performances by other actors. He is good and it is indeed a pity that his kind of performance is not recognized by the Academy.

Surprises:
Demián Bichir's mention in SAG probably meant something, and now it is confirmed. Once again, the SAG proves to be a great indicator. One mention in the SAG is sufficient for a nomination.

The amazing Gary Oldman's first Oscar nod is long overdue, but I never thought this year would be year for him to manage a nomination with all the frontrunners. Turns out I'm indeed wrong.

Best Leading Actress:
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn

Snubs:
Tilda Swinton for sure. Her astonishing performance throughout We Need to Talk About Kevin hasn't earned her this Oscar-winning Actress a lead-acting nomination.


Surprises:
Rooney Mara's in, but I guess it is not that much of a big surprise. Definitely Tilda Swinton not being nominated is more like one.

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior 

Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Snubs:
Albert Brooks for Drive. It seems Drive hasn't been well treated in this year's Oscar.


Surprises:
Not really, though I'm trying to get used to the title Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill.

Best Supporting Actress:
Bérénice Bejo - The Artist

Jessica Chastain - The Help

Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer - The Help

Snubs:
Carey Mulligan in Shame, and Shailene Woodley's breathtaking performance in the beginning of The Descendants. This category is probably too crowded this year with far too many possibilities. Basically beside Octavia Spencer and Bérénice Bejo, anything is possible.


Surprises:
Melissa McCarthy is probably one if you didn't pay much attention to the recent rise of Bridesmaids. Though this simply comedy flick didn't prove itself worthy in the Best Picture race, it definitely has helped Melissa McCarthy get in this supporting race.


Best Director:

Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne - The Descendants

Martin Scorsese - Hugo

Snubs:
There are quite a number of worthy contenders snubbed, but it's too good a year for directors. Steven Spielberg, Tate Taylor, David Fincher. It's easy to name a few more yourself.


Surprise:
Not much. As usual, the DGA nods and the Academy nods don't line up, with one mismatch. Many can join the race alongside Allen, Hazanavicius, Payne and Scorsese, and the Academy has chosen to give that honor the beloved Terrence Malick for his brave work The Tree of Life. I would say it's very well deserved.

Best Original Screenplay:

The Artist

Bridesmaids 
Margin Call
Midnight in Paris
A Separation


Snubs:
Quite a lot like most of the time. Win Win, Young Adult...


Surprises:
Margin Call is a shock to me. I've watched this movie and I never really considered it to be serious Oscar contender. Well, what's happening now is that this not-so-different thriller has earned itself an original screenplay nod.


A Separation. I never expected this foreign language film to soar above so many US options.


Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Descendants

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy


Snubs:
The Help and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. If Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has made its way into the Best Picture glory, why hasn't it got this? Same thing for The Help


Surprises:
I considered The Ides of March for this category but I didn't think it was a very strong contender. It seems this the Academy does want George Clooney to have double nominations this year. And Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, since it's been mostly snubbed, I never really thought about this getting in this category.


Best Animated Feature:
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

Snubs:
Wow. Just wow. The Adventures of Tintin. Where the heck has it run off to? This is probably one of the greatest surprises of the announcement as well.


Surprises:
Tintin indeed, and maybe it's just me, but I've never even heard of A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita.
 
Best Foreign Language Film:
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation

Snubs:
Obviously I'm not an expert of this category and I personally do not watch many foreign films, so I can't say.


Surprises:
I guess a list that includes In Darkness, Bullhead and the frontrunner A Separation is not much of a surprise.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

The Tree of Life

War Horse

Snubs:
No for me

Surprises:
I must admit, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is quite a surprise for me.

Best Editing:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Snubs:
Drive and War Horse, The Tree of Life, and I think I can name a lot more. This category is too tricky to guess for me.


Surprises:
Nope

Best Art Direction:
The Artist
HP 7.2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Snubs:
Not that I notice and not that I'm expert. I just think that The Artist, HP and Hugo definitely deserve it.

Surprises:
Not that I can tell. War Horse perhaps. And the fact that I just know I mysteriously missed this category in my previous prediction.

Best Costume Design:
Annymous

The Artist

Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Snubs:
Not for me to say, but I don't think there's any obvious snubs.

Surprises:
W.E. is probably the surprise for me here.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs

HP 7.2

The Iron Lady

Snubs:
Hugo and The Artist. The two Best Picture frontrunners.

Surprises:
None

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tintin

The Artist

Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Snubs:
With Drive being deemed ineligible, I am not that into this race anymore. I personally only loved the music from Hugo, War Horse and Drive.

Surprises:
The Adventures of Tintin, getting one nod compensating for it being weirdly missed out in the animated category.

I never expected Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Best Original Song:
The Muppets - Man or Muppet
Rio - Real in Rio

Snubs:
All I can say is what the heck. Seriously, two songs. How about The Living Proof from The Help which had been one of the most potential nominees since the beginning. How about Hugo's amazing piece at the end of the movie? How about more songs from The Muppets.


Surprises:
The number of nominees itself despite all the worth pieces this year is a huge surprise. The reasonable explanation is that many do not get sufficient ballots to be nominated.

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Best Sound Editing:
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse


Snubs:
Super 8?

Surprises:
I can't believe Super 8 didn't receive dual nods in the sound categories. The train-wreck scene is adequate for the nods. What's wrong with you Academy members?

Best Visual Effects:
HP 7.2
Hugo
Real Steel

Rise of the Planet of Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Snubs:
No, no obvious ones. And no, I never thought The Tree of Life would be nominated.

Surprises:
Not that I can tell. Real Steel is probably the most surprising one here.

Gloden Globes 2012: Winners

This is it guys. The Oscar is closing in on us. The golden globes have just been presented to award both television and motion picture work in the year of 2011. The two winning motion comedy/musical picture and motion drama picture are respectively The Descendants and The Artist, while Martin Scorsese took home the big best director award for his directorial work in Hugo. Midnight in Paris won the screenplay award. Modern Family won best comedy/musical TV series while Homeland won best drama TV series. Below are the list of winners for the categories.

Cecil B. DeMille Award - Morgan Freeman

Best Motion Picture - Drama - The Descendants

Best Actress - Drama - Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Best Actor - Drama - George Clooney (The Descendants)

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical - The Artist

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical - Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical - Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Best Animated Feature - The Adventures of Tintin

Best Foreign Language Film - A Separation (Iran)

Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Best Director - Motion Picture - Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture - Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

Best Original Score - Motion Picture - Ludovic Bource (The Artist)

Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Masterpiece (W.E)

Best Television Series - Drama - Homeland

Best Actress - TV Drama - Claire Danes (Homeland)

Best Actor - TV Drama - Kelsey Grammer (Boss)

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical - Modern Family

Best Actress - TV Comedy or Musical - Laura Dern (Enlightened)

Best Actor - TV Comedy or Musical - Matt Leblanc (Episodes)

Best Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)

Best Actress - TV Mini-series or Motion Picture - Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce)

Best Actor - TV Mini-series or Motion Picture - Idris Elba (Luther)

Best Supporting Actress - all TV - Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)

Best Supporting Actor - all TV - Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

A Forecast of 2012

I have a hunch that 2012 will be a good year for movies, for we have the return of two great series, one as a sequel and the other as a prequel. You know which two I'm talking about: The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I think I can almost assure you now that these two will certainly compete in the 2013 Oscar, and aside from the almost guaranteed technical award nods, quite possibly they will also compete in the Best Picture race.

We have two relatively young yet incredibly talented directors with us. Peter Jackson scored 3 Oscars in the 2003 Academy Awards for the directorial, writing, and producing work, for his extraordinary product and a classic to remember - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Christopher Nolan, on the other hand, has already received 3 Oscar nominations at 41, and I was totally astonished by his work in 2010's Inception.

They will probably continue their glory for their two coming films, and as I said, their films will probably also be in the Oscar Best Picture race. For The Hobbit, I believe the reason is simply sufficient if you are aware that all of the previous three installments in The Lord of the Rings series were nominated for Best Picture. The Dark Knight was considered a possibility for Best Picture back in 2008, but I believe next year its possibility will rise significantly. (Remember back in 2008 when there were only 5 nominees for Best Picture and now there can be 5-10)

It doesn't end here. There is Lincoln, the next Steven Spielberg film coming out next year. People who pay close attention to the Oscar can easily notice that the Academy has a thing for films set in the past and films with historical value, and a film about the sixteenth President of the United States will be most certainly loved by the Academy if nothing major goes wrong, not to mention Spielberg is a veteran and a favorite among the Academy members himself.

I'm not sure whether Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be nominated for his superb performance in 50/50 this year (that seems highly unlikely unfortunately), I'm hoping for him to score his first Best Actor nod in Spielberg's movie. He's going to play Robert Todd Lincoln, the President himself.

Last but the least, we have Les Misérables. It's been long since such a strong musical contender enters the Oscar race, right? I remember Chicago, and I also recall Johnny Deep's cold-blooded character in Sweeny Todd. I'm sure this movie definitely has the potential to be one of the Best Picture nominees. Les Misérables will be directed by Tom Hooper, the recent Oscar-winner for directing The King's Speech.

I'm certain I've failed to cover the entire excitement of cinema in the year of 2012, but for now these are the four films that I think have a very strong chance in next year's Academy Awards.

I guess it's never too early to make Oscar predictions, though it does sound pretty funny that I'm making predictions for next year's Oscar even before the nominee announcement of this year's Oscar contenders. Anyway, here's what I think.

Best Picture:

Les Misérables

Lincoln

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best Director:

Tom Hooper for Les Misérables

Steven Spielberg for Lincoln

Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises

Peter Jackson for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

DGA Nominations Out

The Directors Guild of America Nominations have been useful in predicting the Best Director category in the Oscar. For the record, since the presentation of DGA Awards back in 1948, only six times the DGA selected director did not succeed in continuing the glory in the Academy Awards. This year, I find the only surprise to be David Fincher for his work in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.


Nominees: 
Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris"
David Fincher for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist"
Alexander Payne for "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese for "Hugo"

When the winner is announced on Jan 28, 2012, we can have a clearer picture of the Oscar-winner for Best Director, or at least that is what the statistics tell us. Personally, I don't think this year will be the seventh mismatch.

Movie Review - Another Happy Day - RECOMMENDED HIGHLY

Another Happy Day (2011) is Highly Recommended.

An Ensemble of Outstanding Performances 

also on imdb.com, posted on 8 January 2012

"Another Happy Day" does not operate in the way usual films do. It does not give you a certain point of climax or intensity and a so-called satisfying, complete closure that many people may expect. Well, these are exactly the things not to be expected.


Look forward to a distinctive drama about a family and the relationships in it. Look forward to a unusual film with both happy and sad moments yet not necessarily with even the slightest of predictability and cheerfulness. It is not necessarily sad, but for certain it does not try to cheer you up.


You can call this film many things. Call it hilarious, call it depressing, call it reality, call it family. It has its share of heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, and it is certainly harsh when it comes to show that this may be exactly what reality may be like. Not all problems can be solved in real life like in the movies, and this is a piece that does not present itself as a typical film; it presents itself as a potential reality, and it goes from there.


The emotions are so rich and deep in this film that it is almost impossible to capture them all so vividly and put them forth on the screen for the audience. But thanks to a group of brilliant performances, the impossible becomes possible, and the power of film definitely emanates more from the incredibly stunning and entirely realistic acting than from the plot.

Despite the total ignorance of this film by the Academy, the performances here alone, not taking the storyline into account, form one of the greatest ensembles of the year. Ellen Barkin as Lynn and Ezra Miller as Elliot, Lynn's son, have delivered one of the most solid and promising performances of the year, and are undoubtedly, as most would say, Oscar-worthy. The emotional collapse of Ellen Burstyn as Doris, Lynn's mother, is another performance too powerful to not pay attention to. The only underachieving one here may be Academy Award nominee Thomas Haden Church, who plays Lynn's ex-husband, Paul, and now has a new spouse, Patty (Demi Moore).


There is a lot of love and hate in this film, and however immorally wrong it may be, this reflects reality in many families, especially bigger ones. The countless issues are not going to just vanish, and it is usually easier said than done to overcome these troubles. In Lynn's case it is even more difficult, with everyone in the family seeming to disapprove of her actions and as Lynn refers to, not on her side. During such a visit with so much hospitality, Lynn must resolve into getting over these problems in the wedding of his son Dylan (Michael Nardelli), who has stayed with Paul and Patty since little age.

Another problem arises as Lynn continues to think and have serious doubts whether she is a good mother. Elliot and Ben (Daniel Yelsky) are both raised by Lynn, and they also have "issues". The former has some kind of severe emotional disorder and can burst into an uncontrollable rampage all of a sudden while the latter is also said to have mildly autistic trouble. Alice (Kate Bosworth), another child raised by Lynn, also seems to have issues and has even hurt herself before. It is in this situation that brings Lynn to the edge. She is on the verge of breaking down, under an extremely uncomfortable environment with everyone pointing fingers at her from the outside and her inner sorrow of her failures on her children.


We have Elliot and Ben. Ben appears as a figure lacking confidence and often feels and reacts badly when others discuss his "autistic nature". Elliot is not your ordinary teenager. He takes teenage drugs and smokes cigarettes, but he is more than that. At times, he seems normal and behaves normally, but at other times, he can act incoherently and totally irresponsibly because of his apparent inability to control himself in certain circumstances. While Lynn has her unbearable load of issues to tackle, the two teenagers also have to deal with their hardships during this somewhat unwanted visit to Lynn's mother.


Alice is not presented to us as a main character though she has been the focus of conversations from time to time, and when she comes up, her problem is no longer her own. It is connected to other members in the family, like Lynn herself, and of course her father, Paul. The relationship between her and Paul is one kind of relationship, and the relationship between Lynn and Paul concerning her is another kind, and then it certainly also causes problems between Patty and Lynn. And between Patty and Lynn it does not end there. With Dylan being Lynn's son but being raised by Patty, his tendency towards Lynn for walking him down the aisle inevitably results in Patty's fury.


The relationships in this family are too complex describe in plain words and you will have to see for yourself how complicated it can be. 

"Another Happy Day" has depth in its diversity of emotions portrayed by a group of talented actors and actresses, and it is an enjoyable experience. It is a drama about a family in general. It covers life and death, sicknesses, teenage problems, emotional disorders, marriages, love, and of course, family.

All I have to remind you is that "Another Happy Day" may not really guarantee you a "happy" experience. For most of the audience, I would say "depression" should be the word. But I guess if you face it optimistically and bravely, it can still be a satisfying and happy journey somehow.

Either way, it is a film where extraordinarily great performances meet affluently rich sentimental displays and a film that should be appreciated. 

"Another Happy Day" is given a A/B grade, 8/10.

WGA Yearly Nominees

Though the WGA may not the best indicator for us movie-fans to predict the Oscar, it still gives us some frontrunners for the two screenplay categories in the Academy Awards. Below are the nominees.


Original Screenplay:
50/50 - Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment

Bridesmaids - Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Studios

Midnight in Paris - Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Win Win - Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight

Young Adult - Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants - Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures

The Help - Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures

Hugo - Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures

Moneyball - Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

Documentary Screenplay:

Better This World, Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures

Nostalgia for the Light, Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films

Pina, Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects

Position Among the Stars, Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Films

Senna,  Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

- Winners will be announced on February 19th.

Academy Awards VFX Narrowed down to 10 Candidates

Final ten contenders:

Captain America: The First Avenger

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2

Hugo

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Real Steel

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The Tree of Life

X-Men: First Class

Out of the race:

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Cowboys and Aliens
Sucker Punch
Super 8
Thor

Well 4 of 5 from my predicted nominees made it to the shortlist. I'm quite happy for HP, Hugo, Real Steel and Planet of Apes, though I'm a bit disappointed in Super 8's departure. Still, I think Super 8 is a strong candidate in the two sound categories. And, my personal favorite remains Martin Scorsese's Hugo.

These 10 potential nominees will be narrowed down to the 5 final candidates and the results will be announced along with the other nominations on the Jan 24, 2012.

ADG

2012 Art Directors Guild Award Nominees are out! Films are divided into three categories, so more films are recognized. When it comes to the Oscar, usually films in the "Period Film" category will be nominated.

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2011:

Period Film

THE ARTIST		Production Designer: Laurence Bennett
HUGO		Production Designer: Dante Ferretti
THE HELP		Production Designer: Mark Ricker
ANONYMOUS		Production Designer: Sebastian Krawinkel
TINKER TAYLOR SOLDIER SPY		Production Designer: Maria Djurkovic

Fantasy Film

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY
HALLOWS PART 2		Production Designer: Stuart Craig
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE
FIRST AVENGER		Production Designer: Rick Heinrichs
THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN:
THE SECRET UNICORN		Production Designer: TBD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
ON STRANGER TIDES		Production Designer: John Myhre
COWBOYS & ALIENS		Production Designer: Scott Chambliss

Contemporary Film

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO		Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt
THE DESCENDANTS		Production Designer: Jane Anne Stewart
EXTREMELY LOUD &
INCREDIBLY CLOSE		Production Designer: K.K. Barrett
DRIVE		Production Designer: Beth Mickle
BRIDESMAIDS		Production Designer: Jefferson Sage

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION FOR 2011:
One-Hour Single Camera Television Series

BOARDWALK EMPIRE
	Episode: 21		Production Designer: Bill Groom
GAME OF THRONES
	Episode: A Golden Crown		Production Designer: Gemma Jackson
AMERICAN HORROR STORY
	Episode: Murder House		Production Designer: Mark Worthington
THE PLAYBOY CLUB
	Episode: The Scarlet Bunny		Production Designer: Scott P. Murphy
PAN AM
	Episode: Pilot		Production Designer: Bob Shaw

Television Movie or Mini-Series

MILDRED PIERCE		Production Designer: Mark Friedberg
CINEMA VERITE		Production Designer: Patti Podesta
TOO BIG TO FAIL		Production Designer: Bob Shaw
THE HOUR		Production Designer: Eve Stewart
BLING RING		Production Designer: Robb Wilson King

Episode of a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series

MODERN FAMILY
	Episode: Express Christmas		Production Designer:	Richard Berg
30 ROCK
	Episode: Double-Edged Sword		Production Designer:	Keith Ian Raywood
				Teresa Mastropierro
WEEDS
	Episode: Game-Played		Production Designer:	Joseph P. Lucky
CALIFORNICATION
	Episode: Monkey Business		Production Designer:	Michael Wylie
NEW GIRL
	Episode: Pilot		Production Designer:	Jefferson D. Sage

Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety, or Unscripted Series

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
	Episode: Host Justin Timberlake,			Production Designer:	Keith Ian Raywood,
		And Musical Guest - Lady Gaga			Eugene Lee, Leo
					Yoshimura, N. Joseph
					De Tullio
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
	Episode: Ducky Tie			Production Designer:	Stephan Olson
2 BROKE GIRLS
	Episode: And The Rich Peoples Problems			Production Designer:	Glenda Rovello
AMERICAN IDOL
	Episode: Top 12 Boys Perform			Production Designer:	James Yarnell
DANCING WITH THE STARS
	Episode: Round One			Production Designer:	James Yarnell

Awards, Music, or Game Shows

83rd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS			Production Designer: Steve Bass
68th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES			Production Designer: Brian Stonestreet
2011 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS			Production Designer: Florian Wieder
63rd ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS			Production Designer: Steve Bass
IT'S WORTH WHAT?
	Best Buds		Production Designer: John Ivo Gilles

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR
COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS FOR 2011:

ACTIVISION: CALL OF DUTY
	Episode: Modern Warfare 3		Production Designer: Neil Spisak
VICTORIA'S SECRET
	Episode: Red		Production Designer: Jeffrey Beecroft
AUDI A8
	Episode: The Art of Progress		Production Designer: Marcos Lutyens
CHEVY VOLT
	Episode: Discovery		Production Designer: Jeremy Reed
JIM BEAM
	Episode: Parallels		Production Designer: Christopher Glass