The Good News Were NOT Good

I was just reading the post "Good News" from July 20, 2009 where I shared with you all about me moving to another country and realized that 7 months later the moving seems to be finally over. Yes, this was the most disastrous moving experience I have ever had in my entire life and believe me, I have moved a lot.

In about an hour the container with whatever is left from my stuff is arriving home. I don't know how things will arrive but I'm expecting the worst and I hope I can salvage some of my stuff like my books, my pictures, my extensive movie collection and my life story. I know that my computer, sound system, dvd player, laserdisc player and many other stuff will be kaput! But at least the wait will be over after months and months of waiting.

I wish this blog will be the place to tell you my moving story, but it's not. This is a film blog and as such will remain.

Now you know another reason why I haven't posted often.

Sigh.

Metaweb

As you can see in The Hurt Locker post I'm testing a new service from Metaweb with basic info for the movie; the snippet still is in testing mode and imagine that soon will be officially launched. I definitively prefer more 'reliable' sources for the data and hope that when launched will include them.

Still I need your help to please tell us if you like or not the snippet. You can select the method you prefer to give your feedback, send email and/or leave a comment. I know that comments are not easy in the blog, but since the awful spam attack had to turn back the word verification and other security measures.

We thank you in advance for your generous feedback.

The Hurt Locker

It's been long since I do a review, so what better movie than the Oscar hopeful excellent film by outstanding director Kathryn Bigelow. Took me a long time to get in the right mood to watch a war movie and to my surprise this is not really a war movie. All right is set in a war but is about the chilling profession of disarming bombs in the heat of urban combat, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. If you take the story out of war and take it to any city in the USA you will find the story repetitive as has been told by many mediocre movies. But -and is a big BUT- this thrilling film that I watched in the comfort of my bed with the covers up to my nose makes the story so thrilling and exciting that your heart starts to pump right with the first few minutes. Excellent!

More interesting is that most of the film does not feel like a movie. It feels like a documentary but a 'special' documentary as you feel like if you're there, like if you are a few steps away from the men. Extraordinary!

There are some Hollywood special effects but within the film narrative become part of the narrative and you understand why editing selected to insert that 'wow' moment in the intense storytelling. Still, most of the film has no visual or special effects and truly feels like naked reality.

Is accurate to real war? I do not know and probably not. But who cares when the storytelling grabs your attention from the very beginning until the very end. You can't stop watching, with the exception of the human bomb where my bed covers went up as was really hard to watch. Not very often you have the opportunity to watch an American drama that's thrilling, intense and makes you feel all kind of emotions. Excellent!

A while back I read an article called "Is Kathryn Bigelow a man?" and mention this to tell you that is really impressive how a woman could tell a men story so well. Still I know that this story is about human beings and their behaviors under extreme death and life situations. But there are some moments where the drama explores men bonding after living those situations and while the film becomes slowish, what is and how is shown suggest male bonding insight. Definitively Bigelow is not a man and is quite an attractive woman that with a 'known' story from many other terrible American films did an extraordinary film. Great storyteller!

Do I recommend the film? Yes. But I suggest to not expect a film about the war in Iraq as is not. It's a terrible and exciting tale about men who expose their lives every time they have to disarm a bomb.

The film has been getting the most honors this award season and according to IMDb has 9 Oscar nominations plus 67 wins and 42 nominations, the latest at the 2010 BAFTA's where won the award in almost every category it was nominated with the exception of two. It's a very impressive credential for a movie American or not and I only wish that Oscar recognizes the excellent filmmaker Bigelow is and makes the milestone a reality: the first female director to win in the 82 years of the history of the Academy Awards.

A must be seen film for many that read this blog regularly and complained about my lack of posting about movies, awards and festivals during the last month. Thank you for complaining.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

The Hurt Locker

2010 BAFTA Award Winners

As some of us know the award ceremony is happening right now and as soon as the major awards are announced I will post them in *RED. (I"m following the ceremony in twitter, as there is NO live stream of the show, unless you live in UK, which is kind of silly as better watch it on TV). Gee this totally looks like my Oscar predictions at The Auteurs... (except for the British actors). It's over until next year. Cheers!

While we wait and if you wish to watch Red Carpet clips and other go here.

Here are the nominations that to my eyes look like what Oscar nods could be. The winners of the awards will be announced at the Orange British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House in London on February 21, 2010.

Best Film
Avatar
An Education
*The Hurt Locker
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up In The Air

Outstanding British Film
An Education
*Fish Tank
In The Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy

Director
James Cameron, Avatar
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Lone Schefig, An Education
*Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker (Bravo!!!!)
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Leading Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In The Air
*Colin Firth, A Single Man (Wow! Excellent!)
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Andy Serkis Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Leading Actress
*Carey Mulligan, An Education (Great!)
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Audrey Tautou, Coco Before Chanel

Supporting Actor
Alec Baldwin, It’s Complicated
Christian Mckay, Me And Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
*Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Anne-Marie Duff, Nowhere Boy
Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
*Mo’nique, Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nowhere Boy

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer
Lucy Bailey, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson Directors, Producers - Mugabe And The White African
Eran Creevy Writer/Director - Shifty Stuart
Hazeldine Writer/Director - Exam
*Duncan Jones Director - Moon
Sam Taylor-Wood Director - Nowhere Boy

Film Not In The English Language
Broken Embraces
Coco Before Chanel
Let The Right One In
*A Prophet (Good and surprising!)
The White Ribbon

Animated Film
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
*Up

*Original Screenplay: Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker
*Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air

*The Orange Rising Star Award: Kristen Stewart - (LOVE her... long before Twilight)

To check nominees in all categories please go here and to check winners in all categories go here. FYI BAFTA'S fifth president will be Prince William, succeeding Richard Attenborough.

What's outstanding is that the two major awards for feature films, Best Film and Outstanding British Film this year belong to female directors as well as the other major award, Best Director. Think this is a first and I'll be checking to confirm it, so if I do not post more is because is a fact. Let's hope the Oscars are similar to the BAFTA's, with the exception of actors that we know will be different.

The award ceremony closed with Prince William and Uma Thurman presenting the Academy Fellowship to none other than Vanessa Redgrave!

If you're interested in watching clips of the winners go to BAFTAonline's Channel at Youtube.

2010 Writers Guild of America Awards Winners

Recently the WGA announced their nominations and here they are. Winners are in *RED.

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Avatar, Written by James Cameron
The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; Warner Bros.
*The Hurt Locker, Written by Mark Boal
A Serious Man, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Adapted Screenplay
Crazy Heart, Screenplay by Scott Cooper; Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb
Julie & Julia, Screenplay by Nora Ephron; Based on the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme
Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; Based on the novel Push by Sapphire
Star Trek, Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; Based upon Star Trek, Created by Gene Roddenberry
*Up in the Air, Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn

Documentary Screenplay
Against the Tide, Screenplay by Richard Trank
Capitalism: A Love Story, Written by Michael Moore
*The Cove, Written by Mark Monroe
Earth Days, Written by Robert Stone
Good Hair, Written by Chris Rock & Jeff Stilson and Lance Crouther and Chuck Sklar
Soundtrack for a Revolution, Written by Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman

To check the official announcement go here and if you wish to learn the nominations for television go here. The trend continues with the same movies, so we can start to guess the Oscar’s nominees and probably we will guess right. Winners will be announced on Saturday, February 20, 2010. To check the winners at the official site and learn the TV categories winners please go here.

Films for the 11 to 15 Years Old - Update 2

As the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) closes we find new films targeted for kids and teens. Most interesting is finding that the fest has in the past and will continue to release DVD's with movies from the fest.

If you're interested in learning about the films, checking the available DVD's and read about the Generation Section of this year's festival, please go here.

-end of update 2-

Recently we got an email from a mother asking us for websites where she could find reviews/recommendations about films for kids in those ages. We answered that we did not know of such sites, but we know about festivals with awards for films targeted to those ages.

The age range is a difficult one as parents still want to control what their children watch and children are starting to develop their own individuality, consequently start to look for what they want to watch.

Nevertheless I liked the idea to have one post -that could be a constant work in progress, especially with blog readers help- to list movies and/or link to sites with films that parents can watch with their children because someone said they are targeted to those ages. The last is the difficult part as always parents should read what the movie is about, check the trailer and read a few reviews before considering if whatever we list here is suited for their own children.

To start this post here is one links where interested parents can look for films names, read about the films and then look for trailers and more info.

Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus at the Berlin Film Festival. To check the 2009 Crystal Bear award winners feature films and shorts go here. Browse the site for films from previous years.

Most of the films are not American and some definitively are arty, but I suggest parents not to be scare off; after all I was lucky enough to start watching great movies when I was in those ages and also learned to read subtitles at a very early age which makes a lot easier to read them when you’re an adult.

26th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival - October 22 to November 1, 2009

Check all the films in this festival here and browse the fest site (and previous years films) here.

Film Festival World - Children's Film Festivals - To check many festivals targeted to children go here.

We will highly appreciate if any of the blog readers knows about a website, film, source of info, etc. to please leave the information as a comment or email us.

I will create a direct link to the post in the second column for easiest access.

Cheers!

60th Berlinale Award Winners

Here are the winners.

PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY

Golden Bear for Best Film: Bal (Honey), Semih Kaplanoglu, Turkey and Germany, 2009 (Bravo!!!)(Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)

Silver Bear for The Jury Grand Prix: Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle), Florin Serban, Romania and Sweden, 2009 (Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)

Silver Bear for Best Director: Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer, France, Germany, and UK, 2009 (Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)

Best First Film: Sebbe, Babak Najafi, Sweden, 2010 (from Generation Section) (Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)

Silver Bear for Best Actress: Shinobu Terajima in Caterpillar, Koji Wakamatsu, Japan, 2010 (Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)
Silver Bear for Best Actor (tie): Grigori Dobrygin and Sergei Puskepalis in Kak ya provel etim letom (How I Ended This Summer), Alexei Popogrebsky, Russia, 2010 (Watch trailer here)

Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Achievement in the Category Camera: Pavel Kostomarov, for Kak ya provel etim letom (How I Ended This Summer), Alexei Popogrebsky, Russia, 2010

Silver Bear for Best Script: Wang Quan’an and Na Jin for Tuan Yuan (Apart Together), , China, 2009 (Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion)

Alfred Bauer Prize: Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle), Florin Serban, Romania and Sweden, 2009

The International Jury
Werner Herzog, Director, Germany
Francesca Comencini, Director, Italy
Nuruddin Farah, Writer, Somalia
Cornelia Froboess, Actress, Germany
José Maria Morales, Producer, Spain
Yu Nan, Actress, China
Renée Zellweger, Actress, USA

To read the winners at the official site go here.

PRIZES OF THE INDEPENDET JURIES

FIPRESCI Awards
Competition: En Familie (A Family), Pernille Fischer Christesen, Denmark, 2010
Panorama: Parêdo (Parade), Isao Yukisada, Japan, 2009
Forum: El Vuelco del Cangrejo (Crab Trap), Oscar Ruíz Navia, Colombia and France, 2009

NETPAC Prize: Yi yè Tái bei ( Au revoir Taipei), Arvin Chen, USA and Taiwan, 2010

Ecumenical Jury
Competition: Bal (Honey), Semith Kaplanoglu, Turkey, 2010 (Must be seen for me as is the last of the trilogy)
Panorama: Kawasakiho ruze (Kawasaki's Rose), Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 2009
Forum: Aisheen (Still Alive in Gaza), Nicolas Wadimoff, Qatar and Switzerland, 2010

Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas: Shahada, Burhan Qurbani, Germany, 2010

Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai (CICAE) Prize
Panorama: Kawasakiho ruze (Kawasaki's Rose), Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 2009
Forum: Winter's Bone, Debra Granik, USA, 2010

Label Europa Cinemas Award: Die Fremde (When We Leave), Feo Aladag, Germany, 2010

Dialogue en Perspective: Lebendkontrolle (Outside), Florian Schewe, Germany, 2010

Caligari Film Prize: La bocca del lupo (Mouth of the Wolf),Pietro Marcello, Italy, 2009

Peace Film Award: Son Of Babylon, Mohamed Al-Daradji, Iraq, UK, France, Netherlands, UAE, Egypt and Palestine, 2009

Amnesty International Film Prize: (tie)
Son Of Babylon, Mohamed Al-Daradji, Iraq, UK, France, Netherlands, UAE, Egypt and Palestine, 2009
Waste Land, Lucy Walker, João Jardim, and Karen Harley, Brazil and UK, 2009

Panorama Audience Award: Waste Land, Lucy Walker, João Jardim, and Karen Harley, Brazil and UK, 2009
The Berliner Morgenpost Readers' Award: En ganske snill mann (A Somewhat Gentle Man), Hans Petter Moland, Norway, 2010 (with Stellan Skarsgård)
The ELSE Siegessäule Readers' Choice Award: Postcard to Daddy, Michael Stock, Germany, 2010
The "Tagesspiegel" Readers' Jury: Winter's Bone, Debra Granik, USA, 2010

Berlinale Talent Campus: Bryn Chainey for Jonah and the Vicarious Nature of Homesickness, Germany, 2010
Score Competition: Camilo Sanabria, Composer, Colombia

To check what each of the above Independent Juries Awards is all about please go here.

GENERATION SECTION

Generation Kplus Children's Jury
Crystal Bear for Best Film: Shui Yuet Sun Tau (aka Sui yuet san tau -Echoes of the Rainbow), Alex Law, Hong Kong, 2010
Special Mention: This Way Of Life, Lotte Svendsen, Denmark, 2010

Generation Kplus International Jury
Grand Prix of the Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk for the Best Feature Film: Boy, Taika Waititi, New Zealand, 2010
Special Mention: Yeo-haeng-ja (A Brand New Life), Ounie Lecomte, France and South Korea, 2009

Generation 14plus Youth Jury
Crystal Bear for Best Film: Neukölln Unlimited, Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Ratsch, Germany, 2010
Special Mention: Dooman River, Zhang Lu, France, South Korea and China, 2009

To read jury statements and learn about awards for Short Films please go here.

SHORT FILMS

Golden Bear for Best Short Film: Händelse Vid Bank (Incident by a Bank), Ruben Östlund, Sweden, 2009
Silver Bear: Hayerida, Shai Miedzinski, Israel

DAAD scholarship: Adrian Sitaru for Colivia, Romania
European Film Academy Short Film: Venus vs Me, Natalie Teirlinck, Belgium

To read jury statements please go here.

I have the impression that there are many women directors with honors from the independent juries which is just great!

So the fest is over and for me came and went too fast. Let's hope that next year we will be surprised with many movies, just as it happened this year with winners that definitively are must be seen for me, even if they were not honored, but they did. Great!

Danke schön Berlinale.

24th Teddy Awards at the 60th Berlinale

Well this award deserves a post so here are the winners for this year.

Best Feature Film: The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko, USA, 2010 (Lesbian Interest with Julianne Moore and Annette Benning)
Teddy Jury Award: Open, Jake Yuzna, USA, 2009

Best Documentary: La bocca del lupo (The Mouth of the Wolf), Pietro Marcello, Italy, 2009
Siegessäule Readers Award: Postcard to Daddy, Michael Stock, Germany, 2010

Best Short Film: The Feast of Stephen, James Franco, USA, 2009 (yes, is the actor)

Special Teddy Award: Werner Schroeter

The French-German TV broadcaster ARTE recorded the ceremony and will air today, February 20th at 11:10pm. rbb TV will rebroadcast the show tomorrow February 21st at 11:30pm.

To read info about all films in competition and watch some trailers or clips go here or here.

There were not many lesbian interest films this year and it's somehow surprising that one won, but it's quite understandable with the casting and the director credentials. Definitively a must be seen for me even when the story is not really that interesting for me.

Cheers!

2010 Berlinale

Tonight, February 20, 2010, at 7 p.m. the International Jury, presided over by Werner Herzog, will award the festival's main prizes, the Golden and Silver Bears. Some awards have been already announced but I'll do one post with all the winners.

The award ceremony will be streamed live from 7 to 9 on 3sat and on the Berlinale video live-stream starting at 7pm until about 8pm. If you wish to watch it online go here.

This year I followed the fest on facebook and was a different experience. If you feel like checking what was posted use the 'new' facebook badge in the first column and you will find more info about other movie related stuff.

Cheers!

XXIV Goya Awards Winners

Winners are in (*)RED.

The Nominations - Recently the nominations were announced and the film with most nominations (16) is Celda 211 (Cell 211) by Daniel Monzon. These are the nominations for the main categories.

Best Film
Agora
(*) Celda 211 (Cell 211)
El Baile de la Victoria (The Dancer and the Thief)
El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret of Your Eyes)

Best Director
Alejandro Amenabar for Agora
(*) Daniel Monzon for Celda 211
Fernando Trueba for El Baile de la Victoria
Juan Jose Campanella for El Secreto de sus Ojos

Best New Director
David Panell for La Verguenza
Borja Cobeaga for Pagafantas
(*) Mar Coll for Tres Dias con la Familia
Antonio Naharro and Alvaro Pastor for Yo, Tambien

Best Actress
Rachel Weisz in Agora
Penelope Cruz in Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embrances)
Maribel Verdu in Tetro
(*) Lola Duenas in Yo, Tambien

Best Actor
(*) Luis Tosar in Celda 211
Ricardo Darin in El Secreto de sus Ojos
Jordi Molla in El Consul de Sodoma
Antonio de la Torre in Gordos

Best Latin-American Film
“Dawson Isla 10”, de Miguel Littin (Chile)
“Gigante” de Adrián Biniez (Uruguay)
(*) “El secreto de sus ojos” de Juan José Campanella (Argentina)
“La teta asustada” de Claudia Llosa Bueno (Perú)

To check nominations in all categories in Spanish go here and to read the news in English go here. Somehow I’m not surprised that Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) was shut-out in this edition, I didn’t really enjoyed the movie that to me looks the most commercial Almodovar I have ever seen; nevertheless Penelope shines in the movie and her nomination is well deserved.

To read winners in all categories go Academy site and look for news from 15/2/10 as they didn't updated the winners and have last year at the Goya's section.

2010 Oscar Nominations in Numbers (plus my comments)

Alright I did the math and for starters let’s see how I did in the only categories I dare to predict.

An Oscar Predictions Tally

Best Picture: Guessed Right 9 of 10
Best Director: Guessed right 5 of 5
Best Actress: Guessed right 5 of 5
Best Actor: Guessed right 5 of 5

Not bad at all as guessed right 24 of 25.

So let's check some data about the films with nods.

Films with Multiple Nominations

The Hurt Locker 9
Avatar 9
Inglourious Basterds 8
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire 6
Up in the Air 6
Up 5
District 9
Nine 4
Star Trek 4
Crazy Heart 3
An Education 3
The Princess and the Frog 3
The Young Victoria 3

With 2 nods each
The Blind Side
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Invictus
The Last Station
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Sherlock Holmes
The White Ribbon

Who could think that Precious was going to tie Up in the Air? Not me. Think I should share with you all that Precious could be a good movie but I didn’t like it because of the story, it was too much for me and had to stop watching as I was getting sick.

Most news say that having 10 nominated films for Best Picture was –at least this year- a good idea because there is “something for everyone”. Probably they are right and ratings for the Awards show will be high as the films will generate wider interest; but we have to be honest, the category has five (real) nominations and the award will go to any of the films directed by the nominees in the Best Director category. Still, the Academy has a high record of awarding the Best Picture and Best Director to different films and I think is his way of honoring two movies instead of just one; but there have been exceptions and if you ask me right now before having watch The Hurt Locker, I really hope the film gets both honors so Cameron’s Avatar gets none. Think that Quentin lost media buzz who has concentrated between the ex-spouses, but I would not mind at all if he or his film surprises us.

I’m sort of dying to watch Colin Firth in A Single Man and I’m sure that will delay until the very last minute watching Crazy Heart that will watch just because the nominations; Clooney had an average to ordinary performance for me and definitively loved Freeman in Invictus. But we all know that the award will go to Jeff Bridges, so that’s it.

The best actress category is just like I imagined and the only film that haven’t seen is The Last Station but obviously will watch as soon as possible because I simply love Helen Mirren, like Christopher Plummer and want to see a Tolstoy story. I’m afraid that the award will go to BullocK and I think she had a great performance in The Blind Side, but I definitively believe that Meryl Streep was SUPERIOR in Julie & Julia. The award should go to Streep.

The Best Supporting Role Female and Male Actors are a given and if they don’t win will be because between yesterday and the closing of the final vote something happens. If the award was given today I’m sure that Mo’Nique and Christoph Waltz win and both are very well deserved for their ‘evil’ characters.

Last take a look at the 2009 yearly Domestic Gross Income (USA only) for each of the ten nominated films. The source is Box Office Mojo and you can check the complete chart with the first 150 movies here.

Avatar - $598,453,037 (open December 18) Ranking: #1
UP - $293,856,559 (open May 29, close November 5) Ranking: #5
The Blind Side – $238,142,163 (open November 20) Ranking: #8
Inglourious Basterds - $120,540,719 (open August 21 close December 17) Ranking: #25
District 9 – $ 115,646,235 (open August 14, close November 1) Ranking: #27
Up In The Air - $73,474,763 (open December 4) Ranking: #43
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’ - $45,469,462 (open November 6)Ranking #66
The Hurt Locker - $12,671,105 (open June 26, close November 19) Ranking: #130
A Serious Man - $9,228,768 (open October 12, closed January 7) Ranking: #142
An Education - $8,795,228 (open October 9) Ranking: #144

As you can easily notice there are blockbusters or box office successes in this year’s nominees for Best Picture. The real push from being nominated will be for the last three films, but some are already released in DVD so money will come from more sales or rentals.

Well I really lost track of time because when I review charts I see stories (lol!) and was reading all the worldwide data, but I won’t bother you with all I saw.

That’s it.

60th Berlinale Competition Program

This year the fest is sixty-years-old and there will be some Anniversary Events that if you feel to check them please go here. To start the coverage of the fest this year here is the Competition Lineup.

In Competition

Opening Ceremony: Tuan Yuan (Apart Together), Wang Quan’an, China, 2009 (must be seen)
Bal (Honey), Semih Kaplanoglu, Turkey and Germany, 2009 (have to see it -the last of the trilogy)
Caterpillar, Koji Wakamatsu, Japan, 2010
Der Räuber (The Robber), Benjamin Heisenberg, Austria and Germany, 2009
En Familie (A Family), Pernille Fischer Christensen, Denmark, 2010 (interesting)
En Ganske snill mann (A Somewhat Gentle Man), Hans Petter Moland, Norway, 2009
Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle), Florin Serban, Romania and Sweden, 2009 (seems interesting, adaptation of a stage play and is Romanian)
Greenberg, Noah Baumbach, USA, 2009
Howl, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, USA, 2009 (yes is about the Allen Ginsberg poem starring James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker… could be interesting)
Jud Süß - Film ohne Gewissen (Jew Suss – Rise and Fall), Oskar Roehler, Austria and Germany, 2010 (Actor life during WWII, could be interesting)
Kak ya provel etim letom (How I Ended This Summer), Alexei Popogrebsky, Russia, 2010
Mammuth, Benoit Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, France 2010 (Must be seen for me)
Na putu (On The Path), Jasmila Zbanic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Germany and Croatia, 2010
Rompecabezas (Puzzle), Natalia Smirnoff, Argentina and France, 2010 (interesting)
San qiang pai an jing qi (A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop), Zhang Yimou, China, 2009 (is a Zhang Yimou movie: MUST BE SEEN FOR ME!)
Shahada (Faith), Burhan Qurbani, Germany, 2009
Shekarchi (The Hunter), Rafi Pitts, Germany and Iran, 2010
Submarino, Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, 2010 (Dogma but story seems hard-to-watch)
The Ghost Writer, Roman Polanski, France, Germany, and UK, 2009 (Polanski, yeah will watch)
The Killer Inside Me, Michael Winterbottom, USA and UK, 2009

Out of Competition

Closing Film: Otouto (About Her Brother), Yoji Yamada, Japan, 2009 (is a Yoji Yamada movie, must be seen)
Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy, UK and USA, 2009
My Name is Khan, Karan Johar, India, 2010
Please Give, Nicole Holofcener, USA, 2009
Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese, USA, 2010
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko, USA and France, 2009 (lesbian interest Annette Bening and Julianne Moore)

As you can see the program is eclectic and has films from allover the world, some very well-known directors and stories for almost everyone. The fest will run from February 11 to 21 and if you want to read about each movie go here and filter by Competition.

I will try to find trailers and will post the link here as soon as is ready.

Oscar Nominations Comments

I found an article that I strongly suggest you take a look from whom has become my favorite (and quite incisive funny) commentator, Mr. Peter Knegt. Please read the article For Your Consideration: The 10 Biggest Surprises of the Oscar Nominations here.

Some of my favorite comments

1. “The Hurt Locker” ties “Avatar” for most nominations.
With the surprising (and deserved) inclusion of a best original score nod, Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” will head into Oscar night on equal footing with James Cameron’s “Avatar” (which suggests we are in for quite the showdown - between ex-spouses, to boot). Each received nine nominations.

5. “The Blind Side” for best picture.
While not shocking, “The Blind Side”‘s inclusion in the best picture category is definitely the biggest surprise of the Academy’s top ten. Producer’s Guild nominees “Invictus” and “Star Trek” were left out in the Sandra Bullock-starrer’s wake and its inclusion bodes well for Bullock’s best actress bid. Her biggest competitor - Meryl Streep - was her film’s lone nominee. The last time a best actress winner came from a single nominated film? 16 years ago, when Jessica Lange won for “Blue Sky.”

This is the BEST

7. The foreign language film category doesn’t do anything stupid.
Films that didn’t make it to the previously announced shortlist aside, the foreign-language film category features an uncharacteristically deserving bunch, with a Cannes rematch between Jacques Audiard’s “A Prophet” and Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” likely. Both are from Sony Pictures Classics, which also received a third nomination in the category with Argentina’s “El Secreto de Sus Ojos”.

10. A woman and an openly gay African-American get best director nominations. An animated film and two sci-fi films get best picture nominations. Half the best picture nominees gross over $100 million, three of them gross under $13 million.
Alright, so these aren’t surprises. But they’re definitely something. All in all, as expected as these nominations were, they represent one of the most diverse batches of nominations the Academy has (ever?) offered. Here’s to this no longer being the exception to the rule.

2010 Academy Awards Nominations

From the nominations announced live there are a few surprises for me, one in the Supporting Actress that includes Maggie Gyllenhaal and The Blind Side in the best picture plus the absence of Invictus.

FEATURE FILMS

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’
A Serious Man
UP
Up In The Air

Animated Feature Film
Coraline, Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson
Princess and the Frog, John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret Kells, Tomm Moore
Up, Pete Docter

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
James Cameron for Avatar
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’
Jason Reitman for Up In The Air
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Helen Mirren in The Last Station
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Gabourey Sibide in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Colin Firth in A Single Man
Morgan Freeman in Invictus
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz in Nine
Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air
Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in Invictus
Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
Christopher Plummer in The Last Station
Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Foreign Language Film
Ajami, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel
El Secreto de Sus Ojos,, Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina
La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow), Claudia Llosa, Peru
Un Prophète (A Prophet), Jacques Audiard, France
Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon), Michael Haneke, Germany

Cinematography
Mauro Fiore for Avatar
Bruno Delbonnel for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Barry Ackroyd for The Hurt Locker
Robert Richardson for Inglourious Basterds
Christian Berger for The White Ribbon (A very well deserved honor!)

Film Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’

Writing Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push by Sapphire’
Up in the Air

Writing Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Art Direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

Costume Design
Bright Star
Coco before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

Makeup
Il Divo (Well deserved honor!!)
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

Music Original Score
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

Music Original Song
Almost There from The Princess and the Frog
Down in New Orleans from The Princess and the Frog
Loin de Paname from Paris 36
Take It All from Nine
The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart

Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

DOCUMENTARY

Feature
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

Short Subject
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Gobernor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit à la Berlin

SHORT FILM

Animated
French Roast
Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
La Dama y La Muerte (The Lady and the Reaper)
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Live Action
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

Now I will be doing some math and probably will post the results here. But my impression is that The Hurt Locker and Avatar have the most nominations; I'm sure that the gossip has already started and will call it something like "the fight of Goliath (Cameron) against David (Bigelow)" or the "exes fight", lol!

If you want to check the list at the official site go here. Now we have to wait until Sunday March 7th to learn who will get the Oscar, but I know who HAVE TO get the Oscar in both Actors supporting roles. My predictions were not that off, with the notable exception of the inclusion of the Blind Side that most critics claim is not worth of the honor as is like a "Lifetime channel movie" (meaning a TV movie), so go figure how the Academy thinks that this and other nominated movies are better than Invictus. Awful omission. Sigh.

2010 Academy Awards News

In a few (25 minutes) we will learn the nominations but while waiting here is the really not interesting Official Poster for this year.

If you don't have the announcement in any TV channel you can watch there is an alternative as the Academy will stream it live at their site. Go here or to the Oscar.com site that has some videos to watch while you wait.

See you very soon with the nominations.

Cheers!

2010 Berlinale News

I was just browsing the Berlinale fest site and I believe there are excellent movies in the fest this year. I know tomorrow we will be very busy with the Oscar nominations, but hopefully by Wednesday I'll start posting about this always interesting film festival and its many sections.

If you cannot wait you can always check the site that today published the complete program. Go here.

Cheers!

Avatar

I’m sorry but I can’t make a serious post about this movie that according to the World box office is most likely to become the number one Money Maker of all times but still has a long run to reach the number one spot as the most watched film of all times, that spot belongs still safely to Gone With the Wind. Hmm, still I’ll try to be serious.

The movie has the most amazing special effects in 3D that I have ever seen. Watched in IMAX 3D and was impressive as I really felt inside the movie and totally got the sensation that if I turned backwards I was going to see whatever was on the back. Awesome!

I truly believe the film deserves the top Academy Special Effects award and the same from all FX awards given in the world. Also I believe that this film should be considered as an Animated Feature Film and if some members of the film industry have little conscience they will admit that the film is more animated than anything else. If they accept it, then Avatar should win the Academy Best Animated Feature Film as the “animation” is surely superior to Up. Yes, I think digital animation has leaped forward with this film and the new technology that was invented will become the industry standard for the near future (near because technology moves really fast). If you think I’m speaking nonsense just think that two-thirds of Avatar was created by a “bank” of computers and the “animation” was done LIVE (i.e. real time) with actors against a green screen. By the way the Live part is one of the few things that was invented and the effect was created to allow expressions and emotions in the “animated” characters.

With this said, I think that the movie in general is just awful. A movie should be the sum of all its parts and this movie lacks a breakthrough story; a story that could be as outstanding as all the excellent technology that was invented for the storytelling. Huge Shame. To stay with James Cameron let’s use an example, Titanic. Titanic had a great story and actor’s performance plus excellent production values and some acceptable special effects made the story and the film a great (and very emotional) cinematic experience. Avatar does not. Cameron totally missed an excellent opportunity to make a great cinematic experience again. He forgot two very important things, the role of human actors in favor of “avatars” of actors and he forgot the importance of a great story. Huge Shame!

Do I recommend the movie? Yes I do. You have to watch it in 3D just for the awesome special effects but do not expect much more and you will exit satisfied. Do I think deserves the top honors that started to collect? No I don’t. Honors should be given to COMPLETE experiences, the total sum of ALL parts and Avatar does not rate well as a total experience.

Still, if your LOVE cinema -in all its components- maybe you should NOT watch this very disappointing film that leaves you wishing you could get back the money you paid for the admission ticket. That’s exactly what happened to me and I knew the story was not good but never imagined that was THAT bad.

Sigh.

Avatar

Oscar’s Very Late Predictions

Last November I dared to do a post with very early predictions about Oscar’s nominations and gee I think I guessed some right, but there were many omissions. So with only one day to learn the nominations here are my latest predictions with some nominations I’m sure and others still a maybe.

Best Picture

Remember that this year there will be 10 nominated films which only make it a little bit hard to guess all.

Sure
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Up In The Air
Inglorious Basterds
Precious

Maybe (will be in the other 5 spots)
An Education
A Serious Man
Invictus
Julie & Julia
And there is the possibility of a blockbuster like Star Trek or Disctric 9. The not so good surprise will be if a comedy like The Hangover get’s in.

Best Director

Sure
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
James Cameron for Avatar
Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds

Maybe
Jason Reitman for Up In The Air
Lee Daniels for Precious
Clint Eastwood for Invictus (I hope he makes it)
Lone Scherfig for An Education

Best Actor

Sure
Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart (hmm, I bet he will win)
George Clooney in Up In The Air
Colin Firth in A Single Man

Maybe
Morgan Freeman in Invictus
Matt Damon in The Informant!
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

Best Actress

Very Sure
Meryl Streep
Sandra Bullock

Sure
Gabourey Sibide in Precious
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Helen Mirren in The Last Station

If I’m wrong in the sure ones, then maybe the fifth spot will be
Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria
Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds
Saorise Ronan in The Lovely Bones

Best Supporting Actor and Actress

Sure thing... for winning the Oscar no matter who else is nominated (and if it doesn't happen will be a HUGE surprise). As some say no one dares to bet against any of them two.

Actor: Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds
Actress: Mo'Nique in Precious

I bet that both categories will be announced early in the awards show -as always-.

Was just recalling that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will host the awards show this year, so I was thinking that will not be a coincidence if Meryl Streep gets TWO nominations, one for Julie & Julia and another for It's Complicated. If it happens votes will split and the sure winner will be Sandra Bullock! I hope it doesn't happen for the sake of the category remaining "interesting".

Well, tomorrow we will learn what Oscar will look this year.

Cheers!

2010 Sundance Award Winners

Last night the fest had its award ceremony and here are the winners.

Dramatic (or Feature Films)

Grand Jury Prize: Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik, USA
World Cinema Jury Prize: Animal Kingdom, David Michôd, Australia
Audience Award U.S.: happythankyoumoreplease Josh Radnor, USA
World Cinema Audience Award: Contracorriente Javier Fuentes-León, Peru, Colombia, France and Germany
U.S. Directing Award: 3 Backyards, Eric Mendelsohn,
World Cinema Directing Award: Zona Sur (Southern District), Juan Carlos Valdivia, Bolivia
U.S. Special Jury Prize: Sympathy For Delicious, Mark Ruffalo,
World Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance:Tatiana Maslany in Grown Up Movie Star, Adriana Maggs, Canada

To check winners in all categories, including documentaries and short films, please go here or here.

As I have mentioned in previous years, I’m no fan of Sundance as most award winning films and/or in competition when finally I’m able to watch them I don’t enjoy them. Obviously there are some exceptions and hopefully this year I will find some and for starters I know will like Zona Sur, congratulations to Bolivia!!!

By the way, Mexican Amat Escalante also won an award and support for a film he expects to film within the next two years; not even him is able to explain what's all about. I know I will watch it!!!

62nd Directors Guild of America Awards Winners

For the first time in the history of the Directors Guild of America a woman director has won the top award. Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to take the DGA award in the 62 years of the DGA awards. Amazing!!!

Yes, Bigelow won the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film with her film The Hurt Locker that I haven’t see yet (it’s a war movie) but that will see soon as got the dvd. The good news is that the DGA has been a near perfect barometer for the Best Director Award with only six times since the DGA Award’s inception has the DGA Award winner not won the Academy Award.

Surely she will be nominated next Tuesday and IF she wins, she will be the first ever woman to do so in eighty-two editions of the Academy Awards and as some say, it would be one of the most significant milestones in Oscar history. Can the so-called glass ceiling be broken? Let’s hope so.

So for clear viewing here is the award winner.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

To check winners in all categories please go here.

Here are the 2010 nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film.

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
James Cameron for Avatar
Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman for Up in The Air
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

As you can see the trend continues with the same movies that I have seen three of them, still pending Avatar and The Hurt Locker and for me is Quentin. We will see what happens on Saturday, January 30, 2010 when they have the award ceremony.

2010 Producers Guild of America Awards Winners

Here are the PGA Awards winners.

Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Thetrical Motion Pictures: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro for The Hurt Locker

Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Jonas Rivera for UP

To check winners in all categories please go here. In the last 20 years the PGA honoree has went to win the Academy’s Best Picture trophy 13 times –which is certainly not a perfect record, but if you think that Avatar was going to win without a serious contender, I suggest you think again. The Academy top award will be another interesting to watch if you are still awake after 3 hours of the show.

16th Screen Actors Guild Awards Winners

By sheer coincidence I was able to watch the end of the awards show and was able to learn the winners that now I'm posting here in *RED. These awards are "fairly reliable" indicators of Actors awards at the Oscars, but I still believe that the Best Actress category will be interesting as there has to be a race between Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep.

Today we start with the Guilds as the Actors announced their nominations. These nominations start to give light on possible Oscar nominations as many SAG members are also academy members. I believe that we can start to see a pattern for the actors and for Best Actress I will be very surprised if Meryl Streep does not get an Oscar nod and well, seems Sandra Bullock could get one too. Anyway here are the nominations.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
An Education
The Hurt Locker
*Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Oustanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
*Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Helen Mirren in The Last Station
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Gabourey Sibide in Precious
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
*Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Colin Firth in A Single Man
Morgan Freeman in Invictus
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz in Nine
Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air
Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds
*Mo’Nique in Precious

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in Invictus
Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
Christopher Plummer in The Last Station
Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
*Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

To check winners and nominees in the all categories go here. To read the press release with the nominees go here. Actor Awards Ceremony will be Simulcast Live on Saturday January 23, 2010 on TNT and TBS at 8pm ET.