"Deception" Trailer

Hugh Jackman...yes! Ewan...Hell yeah!! Michelle Williams...Umm hmmm. So why does this not seem that exciting to me. Perhaps it is the way the trailer is cut but don't good movies usually come with good trailers?

MAFFE Awards 2008!! The Lead Actresses

Marion Cotillard - "La Mome"

Takes an iconic woman and gives an iconic performance.
She ably transitions between many different ages, never once faltering.


Angelina Jolie - "A Mighty Heart"

Treats the role with immense respect and dignity to Marianne Pearl. Even turning away from the camera to grieve.
The accent never waivers.


Keira Knightly - "Atonement"

The smallest role of the bunch, but it leaves such an impression. The clippered 1930's speech to her face as she realizes her feelings. A true actress emerges.


Laura Linney - "The Savages"

For being funny, pathetic and true.
She is believable as a sibling and a woman who is deeply flawed.
You never question her.


Annamarina Marinca - "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"

For the difficulty of carrying the movie on her back.
The moments she has to reflect on what has transpired she truly shines. amazing acting.


Ellen Page - "Juno"

She carries the movie and is able to make the stylized dialogue completely believable.
Any actress who can say the line "I don't know what type of girl I am" so poignant and true is brilliant.

Paul Scofield has died.

The 'In Memorium' section at he Oscars will be especially sad this year. Read the whole article here. Something is in the British air this March. First Minghella and now Scofield. At least he lead a great life.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! The Lead Actors

Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Simply stunning work.
His Ford is both creepy and pathetic.
Shows the danger of fandom.


Christian Bale - "3:10 to Yuma"

His everyman father doing something brave and ridiculous to prove himself to his son was heroic work.
You wished he would just turn back.


Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"

What can I say that has not been said already by much better writers?

A simply towering performance.


James McAvoy - "Atonement"

For an iconic performance his Robbie Turner is up there with Day-Lewis.
You believed in his love, his passion and finally his despair. Your heart breaks for Robbie.


Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"

Minus the fact that he is incredibly sexy in the role, his is also amazing. His slight character shifts are so slight as to not give him away. You wonder how he did it.


Gorden Pinsent - "Away From Her"

For all the Hosanna's bestowed upon his co-star, people forget that he has the much more difficult role.
You feel his longing and pain as he looks at the woman he loves but who doesn't know him anymore.

Empire Linky Link

Empire Magazine has one hot website. Great for all your movie news.

Here are a few interesting tidbits from the past few days.

Another Star Wars movie! Yep, tis true.

"The Others" director makes another movie...this time with Rachel Weisz.

Buffy does serious. I am still waiting for the promise that Actress showed us all on the small screen.
Perhaps this could do it. Kind of slushy sounding, but could also be "My Life Without Me" esque. Fingers crossed.

Superman is back!! The BF goes into bliss induced shock!

How the hell did the "Confessions of a Shop-a-holic" movie get such great cast? Is God herself the casting director?

Ben Affleck may be directing again. "Gone Baby Gone" was a critical success and garnered an Oscar nom (undeserving IMHO) for Amy Ryan. This time he goes the crime route...again. Well if it ain't broke.

And finally they muse of the overly elaborate movie title, and I laugh.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! Supporting Actress

This year was littered with small performances that woke you up from otherwise dull movies.

The ladies in waiting are:

Ruby Dee - "American Gangster"

She woke you up. giving the film one of it's only honest moments.
A mother so disappointed in her son, she hits him. You can see her hurt in doing so. Masterful.


Samantha Morton - "Control" & "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

The first was a wonderful study of a woman married and a mother far too soon. The second, she hits he character out of the park in less than 5 minutes. Makes you wish the film was about her.


Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"

Knew when to hold back and when to emote. The way you could see her processing every moment was truly masterful.
Her devastation when she sees her crush with her sister is perfect.


Emmanuelle Seigner - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

As the ex wife she was able to be sexy, tragic and heart breaking.
When she has to convey the message on the phone to the other woman you feel her pain.


Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

Totally in over her head and not prepared at all for her job, and Tilda lets you know this from the get go.
Classic study of a sheep in wolfs clothing.


Tabu - "The Namesake"

She is the centre of the film. She is alone in her new world and Tabu conveys the shifts in her demeanor between America and India perfectly. She just wants to go home.

Music Mondays.

I have spoken of Adele before but since today I could not stop listening to the last track from her wonderful album "19" I thought I would share it with you.
People go on and on about the lack of talent in popular chart music these days, then quibble when someone obviously talented like Adele come out and it not a size-zero-runway-ready-extension-sporting-glamazon. Those people suck.

Here is Adele singing 'Hometown Glory' live. It sends chills.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! Supporting Actor.

This was a great year for performance. The men, especially, had rich picking with roles which is clearly visible with my Best-Of pics.
And here they are

Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"

He created the most memorable villainous role of the year, but did so with a glint of humor.
You loved him and feared him at the same time. No other performance has done that since Hannibal Lector.


Robert Downey Jr. - "Zodiac"

He was cocky, sarcastic, deeply flawed, a show boat and very funny. Gave the dark film much needed humor and wit but never sacrificing his characters own voice.

Hal Holbrook - "Into The Wild"

The quiet compassion and warmth he shows to the central character makes the rejection all the more tragic.
His final moments are a master class in restraint and sorrow. His Ron does not want to be alone.


Irrfan Khan - "A Mighty Heart" & "The Namesake"

His performance as the head of police in "A Mighty Heart" is sympathetic and focused. Hugely complimented by his role as a father trying to provide for his family and instill his culture in "The Namesake".


Tommy Lee Jones - "No Country for Old Men"

Give the film its voice of reason.
Masterfully lamenting on the unnecessary violence in the world without being preachy. He leaves you in regret for enjoying the film so much


Max Von Sydow - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

How this wasn't nominated is beyond me.
Takes your heart and shatters it in two small scenes. The grief of his father is so private you hate to watch.

I am Boomer

And I couldn't be happier.

In getting myself prepared for season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica" and when it would start (april 4th y'all) I came across the following little quizzy quiz.

I love a good quizzy quiz so I took this one and low and behold I am my favourite character. Boomers journey was a difficult one and we are still not 100% as to where her loyalties lie. I for one love this about her and wouldn't blame her at all for siding with either side. Right now she walk the middle line. Plus her on screen man is pretty damn hot!!!!

Take the quiz:

Which Battlestar Galactica Character Are You?

More on Battlestar Galactica. Created by BuddyTV

The Edge of Link

BUG FIXED ON LINKS

Cinematical is a great web site, but there is the best article on there on there now, highlighting how the Academy needs to fix the Foreign Film category (and oh boy does it need fixing). Check out what he says here….A-men brother.

Fug Madness begins. With Joan Rivers no longer laughing at the fashion of the rich (I miss her)......I say, and say it with me, “GIVE THESE GIRLS THEIR OWN SHOW!”

Every day, when I listen to my iPod on my 45 minute walk to work I thank Arjan for his blog. Otherwise I would have no wonderful good music. This week he looks at the Kanye West video for “Flashing Lights”. Never seen it, never heard it and all I can say is MY WORD!!!! I am excited for the music video genre again.

Guess who Cate Blanchett is going to be playing on stage. My fellow blogger has the scoop on his hot new blog!

OMG…..my new Obsession sings. KEIRA SINGS!!! Plus they give a sort of review of the film….SO EXCITED!

The Cellar Door reveals the beginning of the ‘little mermaid awards’.
I love bloggers doing their own awards, as it makes you reflect on performances you may not have loved, and the chance to be introduced to films you may not have seen.
He also made me pee my pants with this. If you are not a fan of Project Runway or simply do not get where you are it, watch this first.

OH NO. Say it isn’t so. Will one of the main movies I am excited about not going to be eligible for Oscar??

The daily mail is proving to be a source of great knowledge today. Samantha Morton directs!! She should hit the campaign trail before Oscar time talking about her difficult childhood on every talk show, then win the Oscar and talk about it some more. No. Wait. Samantha is classy….unlike Schmillery Skank.