Monday, January 19, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Golden Globes...
The awards are next Sunday. Here's who's nominated, and who I think should win (in italics). I am only commenting on categories in which I've seen at least two of the movies/performances:
Best Picture, Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
-- granted I've only seen 2 (slumdog and frost/nixon) of the films nominated, I really can't imagine the others beating Slumdog. Frost/Nixon was great, I love the biography feel and it feels a lot like Good Night and Good Luck but there's a stronger connection with the viewer to the characters, I think. Slumdog is just outstanding. See my previous post for my immediate reaction to it. I would like to see the others, but with school starting back up, it might be a while.
Best Picture, Musical/Comedy
Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-- I am counting this category even though I only saw 40 minutes of Burn After Reading before I got bored and stopped. I was not a fan. Maybe if I watched it all the way through I would have felt better, but I couldn't do it. Mamma Mia probably won't win, but it was so cute!
Best Actress, Musical/Comedy
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy Go Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey
-- I'm going with Meryl on this one. I saw her in Doubt and then saw her in this and was blown away with her range. I think she should get the award for this over Doubt only because it is so different than what you usually see her in. She is usually doing the drama, I like that she was brave enough to shake things up and sing. As for Frances McDormand, in the brief look I got, she was good, and I'd love to see Last Chance Harvey, that looks great.
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Junior - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
-- This is a category where I've seen everything but The Duchess, so I actually can judge. Tom Cruise was good, but not Golden Globe good and I think he's burned to many bridges. If Heath didn't die, I think it would be much tighter between him and RDJ. Tropic Thunder was a great movie and RDJ was outstanding, but Heath was just as good, if not better, and considering what's happened, I think Heath should get it.
For the Best Supporting Actress, I only saw one movie, which accounts for two nominees, so I'll just state that Amy Adams was amazing in Doubt. As for Viola Davis, she was good and her role was heartbreaking (mother of a potential abuse victim but leaves her son there because his opportunities are few because of his race and financial standing), but her role was maybe 5 minutes long. Amy Adams was in the entire movie so if it was down to the two of them, she should get it.
Best Screenplay (just listing the movies, not the writers, sorry WGA)
Slumdog Millionaire
The Reader
Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
-- I give the Benjamin Button guy credit for turning a short story into a really long movie, but I gotta go with Slumdog again. The way the story of Jamal's life was interwoven with scenes from the gameshow and how the questions led to the backstory and those were both intertwined with the love story and the police questioning and how everything interrelated in a beautiful way for hte viewer -- perfect. I'd give the director the Golden Globe too, I just don't know directing well enough to really judge it so I left it out.
As for Best Original Song, I have no opinion because I don't know any of them, but I just want to state that if Miley Cyrus wins a Golden Globe, I quit. I don't know what I quit, I just quit.
Best Television, Drama
Dexter
House
In Treatment
Mad Men
True Blood
-- This one is tough. I love both Dexter and Mad Men more than any other show on television. I haven't seen True Blood or In Treatment and while House is great, it's not even close to D or MM. I'm going with Mad Men on this one because the second season was impressive in both writing and acting, whereas Dexter's season 3 was not as good, in my opinion as last year and the overall acting is not as polished. Plus, MM won the Globe last year, so the voters already love it.
Best Actor, TV Drama
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
-- I'm going with Michael C. Hall even though Hamm won last year. MCH has been outstanding as Dexter especially in the most recent season. Even though I thought the season overall was not as good as the first two, season three showed more depth in Dexter and I think MCH deserves an award for that.
Best Actress, TV Drama
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order, SVU
January Jones - Mad Men
Anna Paquin - True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
-- Jones took her character to a new level this season. Last year, I hated her character, thought she was whiny and annoying. This year, you understood her more, you pitied her, you pulled for her, you tore your hair out. You can't give all the credit to the writing on that one.
I'm not commenting on comedies in general as I've only seen the Office and 30 Rock, which do fit my "seen 2" requirement, but it would be boring. We know Tina Fey will win and probably 30 Rock, as has been the trend lately. Other than that, it will probably be cable shows I don't get. Jeremy Piven will most likely get Best Supporting Actor which will be an absolute travesty because Neil Patrick Harris is the best on television right now and Entourage is tired and should be cancelled. As for Best Supporting Actress, I only watch Brothers & Sisters and Rachel Griffiths is fantastic, has been since 6 Feet Under. I say give it to her.
So this was a long entry, but when it comes to homework or long blog posts, I prefer this.
Best Picture, Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
-- granted I've only seen 2 (slumdog and frost/nixon) of the films nominated, I really can't imagine the others beating Slumdog. Frost/Nixon was great, I love the biography feel and it feels a lot like Good Night and Good Luck but there's a stronger connection with the viewer to the characters, I think. Slumdog is just outstanding. See my previous post for my immediate reaction to it. I would like to see the others, but with school starting back up, it might be a while.
Best Picture, Musical/Comedy
Burn After Reading
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-- I am counting this category even though I only saw 40 minutes of Burn After Reading before I got bored and stopped. I was not a fan. Maybe if I watched it all the way through I would have felt better, but I couldn't do it. Mamma Mia probably won't win, but it was so cute!
Best Actress, Musical/Comedy
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy Go Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey
-- I'm going with Meryl on this one. I saw her in Doubt and then saw her in this and was blown away with her range. I think she should get the award for this over Doubt only because it is so different than what you usually see her in. She is usually doing the drama, I like that she was brave enough to shake things up and sing. As for Frances McDormand, in the brief look I got, she was good, and I'd love to see Last Chance Harvey, that looks great.
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Junior - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
-- This is a category where I've seen everything but The Duchess, so I actually can judge. Tom Cruise was good, but not Golden Globe good and I think he's burned to many bridges. If Heath didn't die, I think it would be much tighter between him and RDJ. Tropic Thunder was a great movie and RDJ was outstanding, but Heath was just as good, if not better, and considering what's happened, I think Heath should get it.
For the Best Supporting Actress, I only saw one movie, which accounts for two nominees, so I'll just state that Amy Adams was amazing in Doubt. As for Viola Davis, she was good and her role was heartbreaking (mother of a potential abuse victim but leaves her son there because his opportunities are few because of his race and financial standing), but her role was maybe 5 minutes long. Amy Adams was in the entire movie so if it was down to the two of them, she should get it.
Best Screenplay (just listing the movies, not the writers, sorry WGA)
Slumdog Millionaire
The Reader
Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
-- I give the Benjamin Button guy credit for turning a short story into a really long movie, but I gotta go with Slumdog again. The way the story of Jamal's life was interwoven with scenes from the gameshow and how the questions led to the backstory and those were both intertwined with the love story and the police questioning and how everything interrelated in a beautiful way for hte viewer -- perfect. I'd give the director the Golden Globe too, I just don't know directing well enough to really judge it so I left it out.
As for Best Original Song, I have no opinion because I don't know any of them, but I just want to state that if Miley Cyrus wins a Golden Globe, I quit. I don't know what I quit, I just quit.
Best Television, Drama
Dexter
House
In Treatment
Mad Men
True Blood
-- This one is tough. I love both Dexter and Mad Men more than any other show on television. I haven't seen True Blood or In Treatment and while House is great, it's not even close to D or MM. I'm going with Mad Men on this one because the second season was impressive in both writing and acting, whereas Dexter's season 3 was not as good, in my opinion as last year and the overall acting is not as polished. Plus, MM won the Globe last year, so the voters already love it.
Best Actor, TV Drama
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Jonathan Rhys Meyers - The Tudors
-- I'm going with Michael C. Hall even though Hamm won last year. MCH has been outstanding as Dexter especially in the most recent season. Even though I thought the season overall was not as good as the first two, season three showed more depth in Dexter and I think MCH deserves an award for that.
Best Actress, TV Drama
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order, SVU
January Jones - Mad Men
Anna Paquin - True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
-- Jones took her character to a new level this season. Last year, I hated her character, thought she was whiny and annoying. This year, you understood her more, you pitied her, you pulled for her, you tore your hair out. You can't give all the credit to the writing on that one.
I'm not commenting on comedies in general as I've only seen the Office and 30 Rock, which do fit my "seen 2" requirement, but it would be boring. We know Tina Fey will win and probably 30 Rock, as has been the trend lately. Other than that, it will probably be cable shows I don't get. Jeremy Piven will most likely get Best Supporting Actor which will be an absolute travesty because Neil Patrick Harris is the best on television right now and Entourage is tired and should be cancelled. As for Best Supporting Actress, I only watch Brothers & Sisters and Rachel Griffiths is fantastic, has been since 6 Feet Under. I say give it to her.
So this was a long entry, but when it comes to homework or long blog posts, I prefer this.
Best Movie of 2008/2009
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO SEE THIS
IT IS AMAZING
IT IS HEARTBREAKING AND UPLIFTING AND JUST PLAIN OUTSTANDING
If it doesn't win Globes and Oscars I will be shocked. I saw Doubt (which everyone is raving about) and it was good, but nowhere near the quality of this movie. The story was so nuanced and so well presented... and I can't really describe it because I'm not a film critic, but there was so much to this movie that made it great.
This movie is getting great reviews too and it's already won small stuff, but I want it to do well in the mainstream awards too because it really does deserve it.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Really?!?
Why is Bristol Palin saying "teen pregnancy is not ideal" news? Can we all just agree that it isn't ideal? Is there a reason we still care about the Palins? I would kinda get caring about Sarah still, because she still has potential. The only news from Bristol I would want to hear is... well pretty much nothing. Maybe when her sham marriage ends, but other than that, nothing.
By the way... Tripp?? Really? Your brothers are Track and Trig. You couldn't come up with something different. Try a different 2 letter combination maybe? Something halfway normal to help make the kid feel better? He's already going to be made fun of because his parents are young enough to be the kids of the other parents.
Sorry, I get very annoyed when crap like this makes the news. And not just the news, but the CNN political ticker. Just because her mom is a politician does not make her baby's birth political news.
Happy New Year, btw
By the way... Tripp?? Really? Your brothers are Track and Trig. You couldn't come up with something different. Try a different 2 letter combination maybe? Something halfway normal to help make the kid feel better? He's already going to be made fun of because his parents are young enough to be the kids of the other parents.
Sorry, I get very annoyed when crap like this makes the news. And not just the news, but the CNN political ticker. Just because her mom is a politician does not make her baby's birth political news.
Happy New Year, btw
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