The BAFTA's announce winners

Best Film: The Queen
Best British Film: The Last King of Scotland
Best Director: Paul Greengrass
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker
Best Actress: Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin (Yay!!! Good support for LMS)
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Last King of Scotland
Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine (wow!! It beat The Queen!)
Animated: Happy Feet
Editing: United 93
Visual Effects: Pirates 2
Original Score: Babel
Best Sound: Casino Royale
Best Foreign Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Makeup: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Costume: Pan's Labyrinth

Interesting - The Departed went home empty handed. (all together) hmmmmmmmm

Mini Review number 9 - The Fountain

The Fountain is an odyssey about one man's thousand-year struggle to save the woman he loves.
His epic journey begins in 16th century Spain, where conquistador Tomas Creo (Hugh Jackman) commences his search for the Tree of Life, the legendary entity believed to grant eternal life to those who drink of its sap.
As modern-day scientist Tommy Creo, he desperately struggles to find a cure for the cancer that is killing his beloved wife Isabel (Rachel Weisz).
Traveling through deep space as a 26th-century astronaut, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life that have consumed him for more than a century.

There is not much more I can say about this film without ruining the effect it will have on the viewer. I was profoundly moved by what I was seeing on screen. Thomas the warrior, the scientist, the explorer is so consumed by finding the answers for life, death and rebirth that he forgets to live. His drive is fueled by grief and a race against time over his loves eventual mortality, that every moment is spent in his laboratory trying to find a cure, missing the final days of Izzy’s life.

What transpires on screen is a meditation on love, death and spirituality. Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker who knows exactly the mood he wants to get across (claustrophobic headache in Pi, the slowed down and sped up world of drugs in Requiem for a dream). In The Fountain he succeeds in portraying the spiritual, the life and the loss. Superbly supported by cinematographer Matthew Libatique, Aronofsky combines the world of a sweeping epic with an intimate study of what it is to truly be reborn.
Clint Mansell delivers a truly sensational score, as he did (and that has been ripped of for every trailer ever) for Requiem for a Dream that serves the film, enhancing the tone of each scene with enough power and beauty that it is not lost amongst the images.

Lastly, why oh why was Hugh Jackman not nominated for ANYTHING? He gave one of the best performances of the year. The way he played the determination, the hope, and the despair broke my heart. In the quieter scenes where the camera pulled up close on his face as he grieved I felt I should look away, like I was watching a private moment in someone’s life that I did not belong to. I honestly did not think he was capable of such truth.


Grade A-

For a selection from the score, click below. This is called 'Together, We Will Live Forever' by Clint Mansell

May she find some peace.

I am rather sad about this people. I have no idea why as I never really paid close attention to her 'career' (insert jokes here). I guess she symbolized everything that is wrong with celebrity these days, a vicitm of her own making. But alas she is gone, soon after her son's 'mysterious' death and the birth of her daugher. I don't want to think that she died of her own making, but rather the family of J. Howard Marshall had something to do with this......which actually makes more sense.....nobody is greedier than those who don't need it. Have a martini (and a hot dog) in the sky babe!!!

I have had 1,000 visits!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The next person who visits me will be my 1,000th. Who ever you are I love you!!! Check down at the bottom of the site to see if it is you!

Thursday - Music I am listening to day.

Yes yes, the last post I said I would do music on Tuesdays, and Music Video Back Track would be Thursday, but whoops! I totally forgot. So children full of woe day (me!) will always have a post about music.

Today M.I.A.. Her album Arular was raved up and down the place, and I bought it unheard and love love loved it. I guess growing up in a place where I was surrounded by soca, grind, ragga and dancehall has made this easier to digest then those who have not. The BF HATES it and thinks it is just noise. Well boo to him. So here is M.I.A. with Bucky Done Gun.

Mini Review number 8 - Blood Diamond

Instead of writing a typical review (which I am still coming to grips with) I want to talk about a few important things that I learned from watching Blood Diamond, that going into the movie I had no idea about. This was such an amazing educational experience for me that I am, in fact, still trying to absorb it all. I really did not expect to be made so aware of so many things from one movie. I will try and do this without too many spoilers so you can all get the same experience I did. So without any more chatter:

1) Djimon Housou and Leonardo are actually, despite other bloggers opinions, quite good in the very few acting scenes they get.

2) Acting and running at the same time is hard.









3) They give oscars for best running, in Leo's case, running with an accent, those crazy Academy members love an accent.






4) White people have the amazing ability to repell bullets fired by black African rebel soldiers. (Other soldiers…different story)

5) Jennifer Connley looks rather lovely when her hair is layered, or as Dean calls her, Jennifer Eyebrows.









6) Child soldiers are bad, unless there is a nice poppy song playing in the soundtrack, then they are cool. More guns for kids please!!

7) My lovely boyfriend seems to have liked this movie……I didn’t know he was that obsessed with Leo.

8) Living in Africa gets you a really nice abs and pecs, but you might get killed

9) You can buy guns in bars. “Can I have strawberry daiquiri and a AK-47 please Sammy?”

10) Tony Blair is a Diamond Smuggler!!!!

11) Diamonds really are not worth it all you shallow ass bitches. Make mine a cubic zirconium!!!




Grade C

Preview of the MAFFE Awards - Yes, that silliness.

I am distinctly aware of my apathy for this years Oscars. I am just not that passionate about any of the nominees who have a chance to win (aside from J-Hud and Perhaps O’Toole and LMS). I mean I would be happy should they walk home with Oscar, but I am usually disappointed on the big night so I am not celebrating too soon. What I guess is my biggest problem is that I am not that excited about this years cinematic offerings. I have yet to see a film that is an A grade, the ones I have given an A- to are at the lower end of that grading spectrum. So I thought this would be a good chance for me to unveil how my own personal awards the MAFFE’s (Michael’s Academy of Feature Film Exellence) are looking. I still have to see A LOT of films, and will be cramming them in, in the next few weeks, but here is how they are looking right at this moment.

Best Picture
Children of Men
Little Miss Sunshine
Pan’s Labyrinth
Shortbus
Volver


Best Director
Pedro Almodovar – Volver
John Cameron Mitchell – Shortbus
Alfonso Cuaron – Children on Men
Guillermo del Toro – Pan’s Labyrinth
Paul Greengrass – United 93

Best Actress
Penelope Cruz – Volver
Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren – The Queen
Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet – Little Children


Best Actor
Sasha Baron Cohen – Borat
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed
James McAvoy – The Last King of Scotland
Peter O’Toole - Venus
Clive Owen – The Children of Men

Best Supporting Actress
Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine
Toni Collette – Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel
Maribel Verdu – Pan’s Labyrinth


Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dawson – Shortbus
Sergi Lopez – Pan’s Labyrinth
Leslie Phillips - Venus
Stanley Tucci – The Devil Wears Prada
Mark Wahlberg – The Departed

Some are very safe bets (like Best Actress) and some are chosen because I simply could not forget them. It was a tough list because as much as I wanted to put United 93 in my top 5, I had to think about films I would really want to watch again, and I just could not bring myself to be put through that again. I also wanted to include Alan Arkin, Sook-Yin Lee and Adrianna Barraza, but it was choca-bloc! I will be seeing the Clint movies, The Fountain, Blood Diamond, Pursuit of Happyness, The Notorious Betty Page, Snowcake, and perhaps 1 or 2 others. Half Nelson is not released until later in the year. I will officially announce them after the Oscars (using the word ‘officially’ as though anyone cares but me…..one can pretend)

Music Video Backtrack 4 - Proud Mary

What an iconic performance. No wonder Ike was pissed as Tina completely over shadows him in every way. A classic performance and brilliant tune that combines fantastic music with a theatrical delivery of song. Something these rising up and comers should be wise to make note of. It ain’t all about stripping off to a g-sting honey.

A Hero

I was very relieved about the news that Joss Whedon had dropped out of Wonder Woman as I was never 100% convinced it would work as a movie with today's ideas of feminism. Especially not the way we remember Wonder Woman. Sure Joss Whedon created an amazing hero

Like the human race, the ideas of feminism are changing. Not so long ago women had to be ice cold bitches to compete in a man's world in order to reap the joys of success and along the way sacrifice family and friends in doing so (Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada illustrated this point all too well).
In today's society it is women, adhering to male ideals, who are bringing down women. Size zero models with blonde highlights are everywhere (to my lovely cousin Carolyn…..STAY DARK!!!!). Look at Janice Dickenson saying to the beautiful fuller figure model on one of the seasons of America's Next Top Model “I don’t like fat in couture!”.

To exert sexual power you are told you have to look like a Pussycat Doll and lets face it, just because you are wearing a leather strap that barely covers your minge, that does not make you a sexually powerful woman……you are just a whore in leather unless you can back your look up, a la Madonna in the 80’s/90’s, and that was a MUCH different time. Women in pop could not be overtly sexual, while men (Prince) could…..Mad’s bridged the gap.

Now it seems every young starlet is flashing their snatch at the nearest camera as if to make a statement that women are in control. It seems to me they are getting out of control and trying to bring a downfall to successful women. Would Wonder Woman stand for this today? No. Madonna proved that point back in the 90's. She has since covered up (leotard aside) and is tackling issues with greater global significance. Lindsey, Paris, Brittany....move on, put some knickers on and look at the world around you, put your money to better use and stop drinking! Look at poor Peter O’Toole so see the long term effects of alcohol abuse…..he is 75 and looks 175.

If this awards season has done anything right it is to allow real women to take centre stage. Most of this years female award nominees have not been of the stereotypical ‘young and skinny’ mold. Even the ingénue’s of this awards season have broken the mold: fuller figured and *gasp* ethnic (America Ferrera and Jennifer Hudson).
Today Wonder Woman would be sent to us to combat advertising agencies, casting directors, tabloids/the press, Hollywood executives, and the various pop-queen-wanna-be’s. She would make us all see that a woman can be beautiful and sexy and still shop plus size; she can be a success just by raising well adjusted children, and she can run a business and be respected as a intelligent, and determined individual.

What we need is a Wonder Woman who is not a sexy siren, but a woman of average build, sans make-up and who kicks ass while wearing very sensible shoes.

Across The Universe

I just don’t know what to think right now except I am so excited about this you have no idea. After disappointments in current movie musicals (went to see Dreamgirls in the theatre again last night, and the British audience laughed….they laughed out loud!!) I don’t want to get my hopes up again, but dammit if I am not twirling around in a whirlwind of screams and laughter at the thought of THIS. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

For Alice

While I was living back in Bermuda I made a lot of fantastic new friends. No one will come close to Alice. When most people would have broken, Alice marched on, with determination, and wicked sense of humour and fucking fierce shoes. Of course having an ocean between us has caused us to drift a little, and the news that she is getting married to the-so-perfect-for-her-Chris is jump-for-joy-fantastic, only dampened by the fact that finances prevent me from flying out. So this is for a woman who is a whole freezer of flavor……..

Music Video Backtrack 3

I remember hearing this back in the 90's. It made a blip on the charts, and I have no idea why it was bigger or why she never went any further than this. Imani Coppola, I am desperately waiting your return.

Panty Slang

Women get the raw deal when it comes to words. Bachelor sounds almost noble. Spinster sounds like a creature from a horror film. Fag sounds happy and light (except when used in a derogatory way). Dyke just sounds like it hurts. Where the ladies have us beat in the names for their core - the vagina.
So I am going to celebrate that various funny, cute, and highly imaginative names that are given to the centre of feminism.
The lovely woman I work with, Novelette, has entertained me for hours with the slang from her home of Jamaica. Especially this new term of panty slang:

word: poom poom

eg: Me botty man, me nwa like de poom poom.

MAFFE 2007

BEST PICTURE

BEST DIRECTOR

BEST SCREENPLAYS

BEST ACTOR

BEST ACTRESS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Tuesday - Music I am listening to day

This is 'Relax, Take it Easy' by MIKA. First single was Grace Kelly and here is hoping the new talented gay on the block has great success! Buy the album!!!

Where have all the good Musicals gone?

Did the genre begin in 2000 and peak in 2001? In 2001 we not only got the cult fav Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but we also got Moulin Rouge!
The latter being a spectacular reinvention of the musical, and the former being an amazing adaptaion of John Cameron Mitchell’s stage play.
But a year before that we got Lars Von Trier and Bjork bringing us the brilliant and criminally under rewarded Dancer in the Dark. At least the French got it right giving it The Golden Palm (Best Picture) and Best Actress at Cannes.
Why does it seem that the movie musicals that have come out since ( Dreamgirls, The Producers and others) just seem, well, uneventful? Sure Chicago won Best Picture, but for me it didn’t hold a candle to these 3 outstanding examples of how this medium can transport our imaginations (Hedwig), our emotions (Dancer in the Dark) and even physically place us in another world (Moulin Rouge!). I guess Hollywood needs to learn a lesson from all of this. Keep the production budget small and be inventive. For example Moulin Rouge with its amazing costumes and set pieces cost $50,000,000 (what was so amazing about all that in Dreamgirls?). Hedwig only cost $6,000,000 and Dancer $12,000,000. Goes to show, passion and love can over come having no money.
Lets hope that with the upcoming Sweeny Todd, Tim Burton and co. can breathe life into this genre again.
I will leave you with a montage from Dancer in the Dark by brianlilith
over at You Tube. Enjoy.