Please give a costume nomination to Rock of Ages and Men in Black III!

Though I still haven't seen some major contenders (Les Misérables, The Master, Django Unchained,...), I've been thinking about how crowded and strong this year is. You know, it's nothing special that some categories are really strong some years, but this year we can say it about all of them. I will have an extremely hard time to choose five for each category.

Yet, without seeing all of the films I'm planning on to, it would be really difficult for me to choose five nominees for best costume design. When I think of all of the costumes in all of the films I've seen, I would like to nominate all of them. Not just the showy, probable and already predicted ones like Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, or The Hobbit. Not even the showy ones, which are not so much predicted like Dark Shadows, Cloud Atlas, or The Woman in Black. I mean the ones, who are not so showy and therefore they are not predicted. But they are wonderful!

I mean those beautiful normal costumes, which greatly fit to the context of the film and aren't so extravagant, that it will disturb your attention to the film's story. In my opinion, that's the thing The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should reward. Moonrise Kingdom, Lawless, The Dark Knight Rises, but especially Men in Black III and Rock of Ages. Their costume work is so great and nobody's talking about them regarding to their potential nominees. And that's sad, because if no one gives them a nod, it won't have it and it won't be nominated. It's very rare to nominate Midnight in Paris's art direction.

I just don't know, what I'll do. Even if I think about the films I haven't seen yet. Anna Karenina, Les Misérables, Django Unchained, A Royal Affair, Hitchcock. They all would fill the category and I still haven't seen them.

I know these above-mentioned films have no chance to be nominated. It would just make me extremely happy. Please, the Academy, think about it. At least nominate one of them. Or nominate them for Costume Designers Guild Awards, where there is more space. Please...

The Change of the blog

As you may have already noticed, I haven't been posting (m)any new articles. It's not because I haven't seen any films from 2012, I just didn't have the spirits to write a review about them. So I decided to just make some random thoughts about the Oscars and my own Moviefilm Awards (whose nominees I'll announce at the end of January). So let's start and I hope you'll enjoy that.

While I was watching Rock of Ages today, I've been thinking about making a new category for my Moviefilm Awards. The biggest chameleon of the year. Last year it would go to Jessica Chastain for her great work in so many films. And if I decide to have this category, there will certainly be enough actors to consider. Just now I can think of five, which would fulfill the category:
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln, Hope Springs, Men in Black III)
John Goodman (Argo, Flight, Trouble with the Curve)
Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike, The Paperboy, Bernie)
Jospeh Gordon-Levitt (Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper)
Helena Bonham Carter (Les Misérables, Great Expectations, Dark Shadows)

I think this year's biggest, or most successful chameleon of this year so far would be John Goodman. Very solid performances. So, in comments you can discuss, if you want me to include this category in Moviefilm Awards. It'll help me to decide. Thank you...

Mirror Mirror

There is always a year, when we have two similar films, so called twin films. Just think about The-Illusionist-and-The-Prestige year, or Saving-Private-Ryan-and-The-Thin-Red-Line year. This year those twin films are Mirror Mirror and The Snow White and the Huntsman. The second one I didn't have a chance to see yet, but the first one's review is here.
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much from Mirror Mirror. I just thought it's gonna be bad and I won't like it, at all. The bigger the film surprised me, while I was watching it. Unexpectedly, it was a very fine fairytale and I really enjoyed it. I have seen much better films from this genre, but I just can't deny that Mirror Mirror has something you just can't resist.

It's not even the story that makes it so likable. It's mostly the directing. Tarsem Singh did a really great job. I can't remember of any this-genre film from recent past that was so well directed. The only blame I have is to the song I believe (in love) that appears in the end of the film. The song itself is very good and nice, but it doesn't absolutely fit into the context of the entire film. It is so disturbing that I can't forgive it easily.
Another person, that makes this film so nice is Julia Roberts. Her performance is funny and very charming and she is the maker of the atmosphere. Though overacting sometimes, her performance is very fine...

The two best thing in the film are the art direction and costume design. I can't even describe it. The costume design is an object of art itself. It's all very colorful and original and it's very enjoyable to watch, just like the art direction.
A makeup is also mention-worthy, because some creations were really well done.
There are not very much visual effects in the film, but they are also very fine a should be mentioned...

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I don't usually like films with no plot and too many characters, from which you can't decide, which are leading and which are supporting. Because of so many character I can't side with any of them and that's the reason I feel bored next to them. Finally, I found an exception.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is so adorable film with so adorable characters, that there is just no way you won't like it. The characters are so sweet, that you will easily sympathize with them. When I think about the film, it just makes me smile. Actually, there is not a character, whose story would not interest me. The screenplay is funny and fresh and the characters are written really wonderfully. They are just like any of us, but they are not boring. The screenplay always makes you enjoy the film because it always has an ace to play. When you think that some character's story will not surprise you anymore, a reversal comes.

John Madden's access to the characters and the film itself is very sensitive. The film, though it is too long for my taste, is never boring. You watch the character's stories and you just enjoy every moment. And that's because of the great and very lovable atmosphere. The contrast between the calm of the characters (or the oldness) and the noisy life in India is really perfectly showed.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel probably won't score in the technical categories. The cinematography, the makeup, the costume design, the score are nothing special. But there is something mention-worthy. The first thing is the art direction, that is really great. The hotel, the city, or the call center. It is not only beautiful, but even perfectly works for the film. The other thing is the editing (oh, I'm rhyming :). It is really not easy to edit this kind of film. Many characters, many locations and it need to be not chaotic. And Chris Gill succeeded in this. 

The performances. They are all really great. And when I say all, I mean all. There is not a one bad, or just OK performance in the film. They all are great. So who has a chance to be nominated? All of them. And when I say all, I mean all. In the best cast category. If you want to know, who has a chance to be nominated in a separated (his own) category, then it's these: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Dev Patel and Tom Wilkinson. The other actors are also great, but they are just a little bit overshadowed by these five.

The Woman in Black

I don't like horror films. The first reason is, that I don't like to be afraid and the second reason is, that they are scary very violently. There is nothing scary about the plot, it's the way that it's made that is scary. When I first heard about The Woman in Black, I thought it's not gonna be something for me. But when I saw the trailer, I knew I need to see it. It was just wonderful. I couldn't wait for the moment I'll see it. But why then I've seen it just three days before? Just because I don't like horrors.
But this time I really enjoyed it. The screenplay is not any excellent, that's true. But almost everything else in this film works perfectly. In the next few minutes I'm going to describe all of them, that are mention-worthy.

The directing. James Watkins is saving everything bad in the script. The atmosphere is really nail-biting and I felt like every moment that was happening to Daniel Radcliffe was happening even to me. Watkins gained my attention from the first scene with the three girls, that is just very powerful. And there are few scenes in the film that will be unforgettable for me. There are some moments, when nothing frightening happens, but I was afraid. The atmosphere is just so good, that you are afraid even without a reason.
Cinematography. This doesn't happen very often, but in this time the cinematography has a huge credit on the atmosphere. I was crazy about the detail shots upon Radcliffe's face in the most thrilling moments. Some people would not believe, how important the cinematography is. This time it was not even helpful for the film, but even very poetic and beautiful.

Art direction and Costume design. I decided to put those things together, because they wonderfully make-up each other. The first fact is, that they are period. The period costumes and production design have it easier, because they get your interest easily. They are really beautiful to watch and the art direction is (especially in the house, where the most of the film takes place in) very claustrophobic.
Also the makeup should be mentioned. It is very decent and fine. Great for the period of the film and just as it should be.
The editing is really great. Especially in the scary moments it's helping to keep the thrilling atmosphere. It's hard to talk about the editing, because you need to see it to understand what I'm talking about.
The score. It was super! It's so helpful to the film, that you hardly notice it in the film. You just feel the chills and if you think about it after watching the film, you realize, that it was also because of the score. If you don't have a chance to watch The Woman in black, at least listen to its soundtrack.
The performances. Daniel Radcliffe is on the screen almost all the time. I thought he's not gonna be able to succeed in this kind of role, but he was really good. He was just as the film wanted him to be and it works very well. There is also Ciarán Hinds that should be mentioned. He gave a great supporting performance and though many actors would be completely unnoticeable. But Hinds rather uses every moment given to him. he was probably the best in show. And you to not say that I forgot Janet McTeer, I'm going to say a few words about her, but I didn't found her somehow special. She was overacting many times and her character was not interesting for me. Not just because of the screenplay, but even because of her portrayal.

Dark Shadows

Well, here it is. My first review. For this occasion I decided to write about Dark Shadows and I have some reasons for that. At first, Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors. At second, Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. At third, Helena Bonham Carter is one of my favorite actresses. At fourth, I've been looking forward Dark Shadows since I heard about it. And at fifth, I hoped Tim Burton will get his reputation right after Alice in Wonderland. Did he succeed?
So, first of all, what is it all about? So, there was Barnabas and his wife. And she was beautiful. A foolish man and his wife. She was his reason and his life. And she was beautiful. But there was also a witch that loved this man. She cursed his wife, so the wife killed herself. When Barnabas found that out, he wanted to kill himself too, but the witch called Angelique changed him into a vampire, so he'll be immortal and he'll suffer forever. And Angelique buried Barnabas alive. Two hundred years later Barnabas is released from his coffin and he is going to revenge Angelique.

So, the story seems to be made exactly for Tim Burton. But his presence is not very noticeable in the film. It's more noticeable, than in Alice in Wonderland, but still it's not very much. If he could've had the R-rating, maybe Dark Shadows would be one of his best films. It just seems to me, as if he was not free enough. I just was expecting more. Not even from him, but from everybody. I found even Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter to feel queer. They're just too forgettable. The film is filled with many sequences, but somehow they do not seem compact. The reason of it may be the fact, that the film is based on a TV series, but Burton is too good director to allow this.

So, is there something worth mentioning about Dark Shadows? Of course there is. As we are justed from Tim Burton's previous films, it's especially art direction. I've heard some opinions saying, that it's is not as good, as in others Burton's films, but it's just not true. The art directions is really beautiful. Especially at the beginning I was very enchanted by some locations. This is the first serious contender for a nomination.
There is also costume design great in Dark Shadows. Colleen Atwood's work has always been adored by me and this film isn't an exception. This time she had a harder thing to do than in previous Tim Burton's films, because there are not so many showy fantasty costumes. There are some of them, but there are very much of the costumes of 70's, that had to be real and interesting at once. And she succeeded.

What I was really shocked about, was Danny Elfman. I just to like his score, it is always very original and charming, but this time it was nothing special. Don't misunderstand me, I liked the score of Dark Shadows, but it was just not anything spectacular. I've been expecting something more interesting, something noticeable, but his score just never really amused me.
What else is worth mentioning? Makeup, maybe. It's very typical for Burton. Lots of white color and that's it. But Johnny Depp's and Jackie Earle Haley's makeup were really great. On the other hand there is Helena Bonham Bonham Carter, whose makeup and hair were (in my opinion) not good at all.
Cinematography. I don't have very much to say about it. It's nice and very burtonish. But as much, as I really like Tim Burton and his films, there is one thing that has never really amused me. And it's cinematography. Dark Shadows are not an exception, unfortunately.
Visual Effects. They are surprisingly not bad! Before the film's release date I have seen some clips of bad visual effects, but now I see they were just not finished. Because there are not many bad effects here. And the most of the time they were really good!
The other thing I would like to talk about are performances. Are there any performances in Dark Shadows that I should advert? The best in show is definitely Jackie Earle Haley. He doesn't have much screentime, but he uses everything he has. It was a very entertaining performance. Johnny Depp is also very fine, but it's far from his best work. There are also Christopher Lee and Alice Cooper that have a decent chance to be nominated for a best cameo.

The Previous Years

This Moviefilm Awards is not gonna be the first, but the fourth, actually. I've been writing down the nominees, but only privately. Here are the previous years nominations. I'm publishing them, so you can find out my taste and probably make the predictions for this year's nominees. So, here they are:

1st Moviefilm Awards:

best picture:                  Avatar
                                            District 9
                                            The Lovely bones
                                            Precious
                                            Up in the air

directing:                         James Cameron - Avatar
                                            Jason Reitman - Up in the air
                                            Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
                                            Peter Jackson - The Lovely bones
                                            Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious basterds

original screenplay:    (500) Day of Summer
                                            District 9
                                            The Hangover
                                            The Hurt Locker
                                            Inglourious basterds

adapted screenplay:   An Education
                                            The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
                                            Precious
                                            Up in the air
                                            Where the Wild Things Are

actor:                                 George Clooney - Up in the air
                                            Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
                                            Morgan Freeman - Invictus
                                            Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes
                                            Tobey Maguire - Brothers

actress:                             Carey Mulligan - An Education
                                            Gaboury Sidibe - Precious
                                            Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
                                            Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
                                            Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely bones

supporting actor:         Alfred Molina - An Education
                                            Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
                                            Christoph Waltz - Inglourious basterds (a tie) *
                                            Heath Ledger - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
                                            Stanley Tucci - The Lovely bones (a tie) *

supporting actress:     Anna Kendrick - Up in the air
                                            Mo´Nique - Precious
                                            Sigourney Weaver - Avatar
                                            Susan Sarandon - The Lovely bones
                                            Vera Farmiga - Up in the air

cinematography:          Amelia
                                            The Lovely bones
                                            The Road
                                            Where the Wild Things Are
                                            The Young Victoria

art direction:                  Amelia
                                            Avatar
                                            Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
                                            A Serious man
                                            Sherlock Holmes

costume design:           Amelia
                                            Coco Chanel
                                            Inglourious basterds
                                            Sherlock Holmes
                                            The Young Victoria

makeup:                          District 9
                                            The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
                                            The Road
                                            Star Trek

sound mixing:               Avatar
                                            District 9
                                            The Hurt Locker
                                            Star Trek
                                            Transformers:The Revenge of the Fallen

sound editing:               Avatar
                                            District 9
                                            The Hurt Locker
                                            Star Trek
                                            Transformers:The Revenge of the Fallen

film editing:                   District 9
                                            The Hurt Locker
                                            Inglourious basterds
                                            Precious
                                            Up in the air

original song:                 Other father song - Coraline
                                            Stu´s Song - The Hangover
                                            All is love - Where the Wild Things Are

original score:               Avatar
                                            Home
                                            The Informant!
                                            Sherlock Holmes
                                            Up

visual effects:                2012
                                            Avatar
                                            District 9
                                            Where the Wild Things Are

best cameo:                   J. K. Simmons - Up in the air
                                            Mike Tyson - The Hangover
                                            Peter Jackson - The Lovely bones

best cast:                         Inglourious basterds
                                            The Lovely bones
                                            Up in the air

-best trailer and best title were not announced

* This time a tie cannot be announced anymore. Just one winner can be in the same category.

2nd Moviefilm Awards:

best picture:                  127 hours
                                            Black swan
                                            Inception
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Shutter Island

directing: *                     Christopher Nolan - Inception
                                            Danny Boyle - 127 hours
                                            Darren Aronofsky - Black swan
                                            David Fincher - The Social Network
                                            Martin Scorsese - Shutter Island
                                            Tom Hooper - The King´s speech

original screenplay:    Black swan
                                            Inception
                                            The Kids Are All RIght
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Toy Story 3

adapted screenplay:   127 hours
                                            Rabbit hole
                                            Shutter Island
                                            The Social Network
                                            True Grit

actor:                                 Colin  Firth - The King´s speech
                                            James Franco - 127 hours
                                            Jeff Birdges - True Grit
                                            Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
                                            Leonardo DiCaprio - Shutter Island
                                            Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine (write-in) **

actress:                             Anette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
                                            Hilary Swank - Conviction
                                            Jennifer Lawrence - Winter´s bone
                                            Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine (write-in) **
                                            Natalie Portman - Black swan
                                            Nicole Kidman - Rabbit hole

supporting actor:         Christian Bale - The Fighter
                                            Geoffrey Rush - The King´s speech
                                            Jeremy Renner - The Town (write-in) **
                                            Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
                                            Michael Douglas - Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps
                                            Sam Rockwell - Conviction

supporting actress:     Amy Adams - The Fighter (write-in) **
                                            Dianne Wiest - Rabbit hole
                                            Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
                                            Helena Bonham Carter - The King´s speech
                                            Melissa Leo - The Fighter
                                            Penelope Cruz - Nine ***

cinematography:          127 hours
                                            Inception
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Shutter Island
                                            True Grit

art direction:                  Alice in Wonderland
                                            Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part I.
                                            Inception
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Shutter Island

costume design:           Alice in Wonderland
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Nine ***
                                            Shutter Island
                                            True Grit

makeup:                          Alice in Wonderland
                                            The King´s speech
                                            True Grit
                                            The Wolfman

sound mixing:               127 hours
                                            Black swan
                                            Inception
                                            Scott Pilgrim vs. the world
                                            The Social Network

sound editing:               127 hours
                                            Inception
                                            The Last Airbender
                                            Iron Man 2
                                            Tron: Legacy

film editing:                   127 hours
                                            Black swan
                                            Inception
                                            The King´s speech
                                            The Social Network

song:                                 I see the light - Tangled
                                            Take it all - Nine ***
                                            When Will My Life Begin - Tangled

score:                                Black swan
                                            The Ghost Writer
                                            Inception
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Never let me go

visual effects:                Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows:Part I.
                                            Inception
                                            Scott Pligrim vs. the world
                                            Tron: Legacy

animated feature:       Fantastic Mr. Fox
                                            Tangled
                                            Toy Story 3

best cast:                         The Fighter
                                            The King´s speech
                                            Nine ***

cameo:                             Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Expendables
                                            Bruce Willis - The Expendables
                                            Charlie Sheen - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

best title:                        Black swan
                                            The Ghost Writer
                                            Inception

best trailer:                    Nine ***
                                            Shutter Island
                                            True Grit

* This year there were six directors nominated. The rules have been changed, so it cannot happen this year.
** The write-in nominees were written to the nominees after the nomination announcement date. The rules have been changed, so it cannot happen this year.
*** Nine had a release date in 2009, but I have not seen it before 1st Moviefilm Award's nomination announcement date, so I included it next year.


3rd Moviefilm Awards:
best picture:
The Artist
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

best directing:
David Fincher - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Michael Hazanavicuis - The Artist
Steven Spielberg - War Horse
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris

original screenplay:
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
A Separation

adapted screenplay:
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
War Horse

actor in a leading role:
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Demián Bichir - A Better Life
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean DuJardin - The Artist

actress in a leading role:
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
Viola Davis - The Help

actor in a supporting role:
Albert Brooks - Drive
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly close

actress in a supporting role:
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Octavia Spencer - The Help

animated film:
The Adventures of Tintin
Puss in Boots
Rango

cinematography:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

art direction: 
The Artist
Captain America: The First Avenger
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Hugo
War Horse

costume design:
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn

makeup:
Anonymous
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
The Iron Lady

sound mixing:
The Adventures of Tintin
Captain America: The First Avenger
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
Transformers 3

sound editing:
Captain America: The First Avenger
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Super 8
Transformers 3
War Horse

film editing:
The Artist
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

best song:
Coeur Volant - Hugo
Hello Hello - Gnomeo & Juliet
Love Built This Garden - Gnomeo & Juliet

best score:
The Artist
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
War Horse

visual effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers 3

best cast:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Midnight in Paris

best cameo:
Hugh Jackman - X-Men: First Class
Roman Polanski - Carnage
Stan Lee - Captain America: The First Avenger

best title:
50/50
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Tree of Life

best trailer:
Carnage
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Tree of Life