Oscar Countdown...

It's a lot harder to see 9 movies than it is to see 5.  Some years I have not even gotten to the 5, but now that the Oscars have up to 10 nominees for Best Picture, it has made my life more challenging.  I know, I know - poor me - having to try to get to movies... but I like it.

Anyhow, at this point I have seen three of the Best Picture nominees, Les Miserables, Argo and as of today, Lincoln.  I think I will be able to get to 6-7 of them but Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild are challenging me as I cannot find them in Edmonton.  So far my pick would be Lincoln.  Although I really liked Argo, I was not moved in the same way as I was by Lincoln.  They are both pretty near perfect in execution - strong scripts and excellent acting and directing with all the details tight and authentic - so it is pretty much a subjective thing for me. Perhaps Lincoln just resonated more because of it's epicness and because of what is currently going on with Idle No More in Canada.  Not sure, but I certainly connected with it. It's not just about emotional response though, because Les Miserables wins that battle, but Les Mis is a flawed movie and I reacted emotionally more for personal reasons than because of it's perfection. Lincoln just felt more important and more universal.

Anyhow, I journey on - hoping to catch Life of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and The Silver Linings Playbook.  Two of these films don't really interest me, but I will get to them if I can. If anyone knows how I can see Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild, let me know.

Woke Up With a Headache....

But at least I got to sleep in. I feel like I have been running steady for the last three days. Saturday, Sunday and Monday were jam packed days. Today it was nice to not have to get out of bed at 7 a.m. I do have a headache though, which sucks. I didn't have it lying down, it struck as I stood up - so does that mean I should return to the bed? Hmmmmm. I took my Tylenol and I am waiting for progress. I think it is cold induced, in that I clench my teeth a lot more when I am freezing and it has been bitterly cold. Like I am talking Fort McMurray cold... I thought I moved...

Well, I did well at the Oscars. I got 16 correct and the nearest to me was 13 so I won! Last year was the first time we did ballots. I was surprised and delighted with a lovely gift from the hostess. I also get to host next year... I have a year to figure that one out. I went with my gut on some of the choices and it seemed to work. The hostess also found Oscar BINGO online and that was fun. With the somewhat lackluster show, the BINGO picked things up!

Rehearsing for Threepenny is going well. I found last night extremely productive. On Sunday we did a stumble through and that gave a bit of scope to what need to be done. It also gave a nice overview of the show which we have worked in smaller chunks so far. Yesterday we worked through Act One. During my 'down time' Gerald and I worked on our scenes and I feel much, much better about my lines now. I find repetition of small chunks so valuable. And this is a tough script in some ways. Tonight we start choreography... Not sure what numbers - big group ones I hear. I think I may have some 'down time' and I will try to use it to my advantage.

Oscar update... 8/10

So I have seen the following Oscar nominated films:

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit

Leaving the following as unseen:

127 Hours
Winter's Bone

I do not know if I will get to see either of those. I am not sure I can handle the amputation in 127 Hours and to be honest I hadn't even heard of Winter's Bone before reading the list of nominees. I read the synopsis and it doesn't draw me in (even though it is supposed to be really good).

Today I thought about which of these would have been the 5 nominees if there were only 5. I think it would be a combination of the following:

The Social Network
The King's Speech
True Grit
The Fighter
Inception
The Black Swan

I do not know which of those would have been kicked from the list... Maybe Inception, because of timing of release, but I actually think it was the most innovative movie up there. Black Swan is really about Natalie Portman's performance (as a film it is compelling, don't get me wrong, but there are narrative details not fleshed out that make this more about the performance). She can win Best Actress and it will be the requisite acclaim for the film. The Social Network and The King's Speech are the 2 that I hear the most about as possible winners. I read one article today citing The Social Network as the 'smartest film' in the list as it's reason for potentially winning. Hmmmmm, backlash for Avatar being so 'not smart'? I wonder. I found it snappy dialogue wise, but really the idea that a guy created facebook to impress a girl because he didn't know how else to... well... I will watch it again later and perhaps have a different reaction to it. The King's Speech was also really anchored by Colin Firth, he should win Best Actor, but it seemed to be more of an ensemble and a fabulous one at that. I am biased by my obsession with royalty through the ages. I loved The Fighter. It totally surprised me, but I will be happy if Christian Bale wins for Best Supporting Actor - incredible performance, really. And today I saw True Grit. It was really the most artful of all the ones I saw. If the Oscars are a measure of ART, it was conceptually the most complete and beautiful.

I still haven't decided how I will vote - probably for The King's Speech... or The Social Network. I do want to win the prize...

Oscar Prep - 2011

Every year I go to an Oscar party (okay, maybe we skipped one year because AM was in Mexico - but we have been pretty consistent). My friend AM started it a few years ago (I am thinking over 10 because I know the first one was before Oliver was born). Anyhow, we have twizzlers, and 2 bite brownies and we watch the Oscars. Early on we made an effort to see as many of the nominated films and performances that we could. That got harder with kids in the picture. In recent years there have been years where I have only seen one of the nominated films. Sigh. It got even harder with the expansion to 10 films in Best Picture, but I made a real effort this year. So far I have seen 7/10 of them and I hope to see my 8th tomorrow (True Grit). I will not get to Winter's Bone or 127 Hours - I can't make it. No matter. I do not think either of them will win Best Picture (not that they aren't good - I am following the odds makers...).

So I am right now trying to figure out who to vote for. The ones I thought were best, or the ones the Odds makers are calling. The reviewers are all pretty much saying The Social Network. I watched it last night. It was very, very good, but didn't blow me away as a film. I watched The Fighter and The King's Speech this week. The Fighter is punching it's way into my number one spot (see what I did there?). I thought it was going to be a predictable sports movie, but it wasn't. Defnitely want Christian Bale for Best Supporting Actor and Melissa Leo for Best Supporting Actress. Hmmmm. The King's Speech was so, so, so good. I really liked it. I would say without a doubt that Colin Firth should win Best Actor, but was the movie the best? I don't know... And then there is Inception. I think that was the coolest film - and the one I think will resonate the longest. I saw it a month ago and it's still there in my brain and I might just watch it again... So hard. I am pretty much down with Natalie Portman in Black Swan for Best Actress. It's the Best Picture I cannot call. Sigh. At least I think they all deserve to be nominated... That's good, right?

Oscars - a Party for One...

Usually I go to AM's for Oscars but since she is in Mexico doing her yoga I went to the basement with my Twizzlers and Cadbury mini-eggs and watched alone. I have only seen Juno of the 5 best picture nominees but I picked No Country For Old Men, due to the hype and what I had heard. It was a low-key year for movies. I still want to see No Country... and Atonement and I have heard Michael Clayton is really good. I imagine There will be Blood is good too. They shall all have to wait until DVD release. Such is my life. I will make a better effort next year and I also hope that some movies from the first half of the year get nominated so it will give me more time.