I came across this via one of my infrequent visits to a friend's page on Facebook...
Just brilliant!!!... Ladies and gentlemen, I present "El Coucho"...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's getting loud...
What the hell is going on?
One might think that the End Times are truly upon us with all the calamity that we process every time we are are witness to recent news. Questions arise that are not being answered. Thousands offer their opinions. Yet we are no closer to even beginning to comprehend the chaos around the World these days. It would be easier to tune out because it is harder to labor towards even a basic understanding of who, what, where, how, and why? But even tuning out can be a challenge.
I think that there is one word that captures the essence of it all - noise.
We are bombarded daily with wanted and unwanted noise. Noise disrupts our ability to observe objectively. Noise can help us focus. Noise can be relaxing. Noise can irritate. Noise can - it can be all things. It can be anything. But it depends on your point of view.
Catching the latest headlines whether about the tumult in the Middle East, the disaster that struck Japan, the idealogues that were swept into office last November bent on proving they meant business (yes, they did), to the weather - thunder sleet?!
For my part, an imbalance of which I spoke to a friend last Fall is now being perceived past my personal sphere. And it is an imbalance that can be heard and not just seen. And maybe this noise is too much to bear - an irritation that causes people to snap.
Like those in the recent melee on a New York subway that started over, wait for it, eating spaghetti. Watching the video of the fight didn't, surprisingly, look different than any other scenes of disaster presented on the television or over the Internet. Just a bloody mess and in that visual cacophony, hope started to raise its voice. Then hope screamed back.
After a futile yet honorable call to reason, other passengers threw themselves into the middle of the fight once, first pasta, then fists began to fly. These individuals rose up to say "ENOUGH!" And it reminded me of the citizens of Wisconsin lashing out at Gov. Scott Walker and his heavy-handed, non-transparent attack on 50 years of progressive, pro-labor policies and laws. (More on this later.)
Does this 'sound' like I'm overreaching? Or is it an internal correction to achieve balance? Perhaps a cry for help.
I need something to drown out the noise...
One might think that the End Times are truly upon us with all the calamity that we process every time we are are witness to recent news. Questions arise that are not being answered. Thousands offer their opinions. Yet we are no closer to even beginning to comprehend the chaos around the World these days. It would be easier to tune out because it is harder to labor towards even a basic understanding of who, what, where, how, and why? But even tuning out can be a challenge.
I think that there is one word that captures the essence of it all - noise.
We are bombarded daily with wanted and unwanted noise. Noise disrupts our ability to observe objectively. Noise can help us focus. Noise can be relaxing. Noise can irritate. Noise can - it can be all things. It can be anything. But it depends on your point of view.
Catching the latest headlines whether about the tumult in the Middle East, the disaster that struck Japan, the idealogues that were swept into office last November bent on proving they meant business (yes, they did), to the weather - thunder sleet?!
For my part, an imbalance of which I spoke to a friend last Fall is now being perceived past my personal sphere. And it is an imbalance that can be heard and not just seen. And maybe this noise is too much to bear - an irritation that causes people to snap.
Like those in the recent melee on a New York subway that started over, wait for it, eating spaghetti. Watching the video of the fight didn't, surprisingly, look different than any other scenes of disaster presented on the television or over the Internet. Just a bloody mess and in that visual cacophony, hope started to raise its voice. Then hope screamed back.
After a futile yet honorable call to reason, other passengers threw themselves into the middle of the fight once, first pasta, then fists began to fly. These individuals rose up to say "ENOUGH!" And it reminded me of the citizens of Wisconsin lashing out at Gov. Scott Walker and his heavy-handed, non-transparent attack on 50 years of progressive, pro-labor policies and laws. (More on this later.)
Does this 'sound' like I'm overreaching? Or is it an internal correction to achieve balance? Perhaps a cry for help.
I need something to drown out the noise...
Saturday, March 5, 2011
REVIEW: "Kin"
"It's awful, isn't it? Getting to know someone."You're not quite sure what you're getting when the house lights have been dim for the first few moments but it proves to not disappoint. Bathsheba Doran's latest, "Kin," revolves around Anna, an Ivy League scholar, and Sean, an Irish personal trainer, who become involved in a relationship that appears to be both inconceivable and doomed to fail. The rich supporting characters include: Anna's long-time friend, Helena, who is seemingly unhappy about Anna's success (Anna would tell you otherwise); Sean's mother, Linda, unsuccessfully dealing with a past trauma back in Ireland; Anna's father, Adam, a military Texan whose moment of vulnerability has a hold on Anna; Sean's uncle Max; Adam's confidant/possible lover Kay; Sean's ex-girlfriend Rachel; Anna's faculty advisor Simon; and Gideon, the North Carolina hunter Helena encounters during her commune with nature.
One would think that the subject matter can get weighty but there are well-placed moments of levity like Helena auditioning for the role of Helena in "Midsummer Night's Dream" and Sean giving his uncle cardio training. On the surface, all of the relationships are filled with tension because of some underlying damage that is revealed but there is a hope that persists. And it is a nagging hope that keeps you drawn in.
"Falling in love, a friend said to me, is like having someone poke around the dark corners of your house where you don’t want anyone looking." - Bathsheba Doran on "Kin"The story unfolds as a series of vignettes over several years and the entire cast gets involved with moving the set pieces around. Sitting in the fourth row during the performance, I even got to experience an Irish mist - it was figuratively and literally cool!
What I enjoyed most about "Kin" is that as an audience member, you will know somebody like those portrayed and, so there, exists an immediate familiarity. You will also not mind that the run time is nearly two hours and that there is no intermission.
Seriously, you won't mind at all.
"Kin"
Director: Sam Gold
Cast: Suzanne Bertish, Bill Buell, Kristen Bush, Patch Darragh, Kit Flanagan, Laura Heisler, Matthew Rauch, Cotter Smith, and Molly Ward
Playwrights Horizons
416 W 42nd St.
Now until April 3rd
Monday, February 28, 2011
Virtuality
virtual |ˈvər ch oōəl|
adjective
almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition : the virtual absence of border controls.
• Computing not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so : a virtual computer. See also VIRTUAL REALITY.
• Optics relating to the points at which rays would meet if produced backward.
• Physics denoting particles or interactions with extremely short lifetimes and (owing to the uncertainty principle) indefinitely great energies, postulated as intermediates in some processes.
DERIVATIVES
virtuality |ˌvər ch oōˈalitē| noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense [possessing certain virtues] ): from medieval Latin virtualis, from Latin virtus ‘virtue,’ suggested by late Latin virtuosus.
I am a big believer in experience. Get yourself in that car, boat, plane - just go and see, smell, hear, feel, taste what the World has to offer. I think of the adventure involved in the journey to experience experience. I think back fondly to the day I foolishly attempted to go through the Louvre in three hours. But I did get to see the Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People and the Venus de Milo with my own eyes. As exhausted as I was, I was also thrilled to be in Paris attempting to speak French, sampling food, being invited to a party, and, simply, taking it all in.
For me, traveling was, essentially, my early life. Born in the Panama Canal Zone and spending a great deal of my youth in Germany, I never really felt I had a home and that I was destined to always be on the move. Maybe that's why I like driving so much. Then I moved to Boston, and even with the occasional move to different neighborhoods, I actually stayed for almost 19 years. Towards my final years in the Old Towne, I wanted to get on a plane again. So I hatched a plan to introduce two friends to each other and they would get married and since one of them was Irish, I'd get to go to a wedding in Ireland - and it worked. The following year, Paris, Madrid and back to London. Two years later after my move to NYC, my neighbor convinced me to go to Costa Rica. I actually didn't want to go but I have to tell you that zip-lining 80 ft. above a rain forest floor, riding a horse through a driving tropical rain storm, and taking in hot springs near an active volcano was an experience!
I'm going at length about this because going to these places and being there was/is completely visceral - that thing that can never be captured in books or online.
But the reality is that for many, if not most, that is simply something that will not happen. For whatever reason, not happening. So what is left is that an online experience these days is the next best thing if not better.
During another enjoyable brunch at Bar Tabac, I pressed the case I made above. However, a dear friend pointed out that a virtual museum tour may actually provide more of an educational or appreciative experience than you could by just looking at a work of art never mind actual access.
Yeah, I got to see the Mona Lisa. It's behind bulletproof glass. If you don't go first thing when the Louvre opens, the room containing the Mona Lisa becomes a mosh pit. Oh, there was the arranging of accommodations. There was flying to Paris after making the connection thru London. Packing. Or I can go to the link above or any other reference I can find online and learn much more about this painting without throwing one elbow while jockeying for room. Without leaving my home. Without losing my luggage!
Hmm... I enjoy the anticipation of a journey. I also enjoy learning something new or different. Of course, I grew up in a generation where you had to go out into the World (or at least the library). Now, the World is at my fingertips via a computer or smartphone - it's a different kind of journey.
The World is constantly changing - blink and you may miss something. But the way we experience the World is also constantly changing. There will come a time that technology will improve to the point where permission slips may not be required for a school field trip or making a journey will not be the production it is currently. But for now, just go...
However you choose...
adjective
almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition : the virtual absence of border controls.
• Computing not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so : a virtual computer. See also VIRTUAL REALITY.
• Optics relating to the points at which rays would meet if produced backward.
• Physics denoting particles or interactions with extremely short lifetimes and (owing to the uncertainty principle) indefinitely great energies, postulated as intermediates in some processes.
DERIVATIVES
virtuality |ˌvər ch oōˈalitē| noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (also in the sense [possessing certain virtues] ): from medieval Latin virtualis, from Latin virtus ‘virtue,’ suggested by late Latin virtuosus.
I am a big believer in experience. Get yourself in that car, boat, plane - just go and see, smell, hear, feel, taste what the World has to offer. I think of the adventure involved in the journey to experience experience. I think back fondly to the day I foolishly attempted to go through the Louvre in three hours. But I did get to see the Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People and the Venus de Milo with my own eyes. As exhausted as I was, I was also thrilled to be in Paris attempting to speak French, sampling food, being invited to a party, and, simply, taking it all in.
For me, traveling was, essentially, my early life. Born in the Panama Canal Zone and spending a great deal of my youth in Germany, I never really felt I had a home and that I was destined to always be on the move. Maybe that's why I like driving so much. Then I moved to Boston, and even with the occasional move to different neighborhoods, I actually stayed for almost 19 years. Towards my final years in the Old Towne, I wanted to get on a plane again. So I hatched a plan to introduce two friends to each other and they would get married and since one of them was Irish, I'd get to go to a wedding in Ireland - and it worked. The following year, Paris, Madrid and back to London. Two years later after my move to NYC, my neighbor convinced me to go to Costa Rica. I actually didn't want to go but I have to tell you that zip-lining 80 ft. above a rain forest floor, riding a horse through a driving tropical rain storm, and taking in hot springs near an active volcano was an experience!
I'm going at length about this because going to these places and being there was/is completely visceral - that thing that can never be captured in books or online.
But the reality is that for many, if not most, that is simply something that will not happen. For whatever reason, not happening. So what is left is that an online experience these days is the next best thing if not better.
During another enjoyable brunch at Bar Tabac, I pressed the case I made above. However, a dear friend pointed out that a virtual museum tour may actually provide more of an educational or appreciative experience than you could by just looking at a work of art never mind actual access.
Yeah, I got to see the Mona Lisa. It's behind bulletproof glass. If you don't go first thing when the Louvre opens, the room containing the Mona Lisa becomes a mosh pit. Oh, there was the arranging of accommodations. There was flying to Paris after making the connection thru London. Packing. Or I can go to the link above or any other reference I can find online and learn much more about this painting without throwing one elbow while jockeying for room. Without leaving my home. Without losing my luggage!
Hmm... I enjoy the anticipation of a journey. I also enjoy learning something new or different. Of course, I grew up in a generation where you had to go out into the World (or at least the library). Now, the World is at my fingertips via a computer or smartphone - it's a different kind of journey.
The World is constantly changing - blink and you may miss something. But the way we experience the World is also constantly changing. There will come a time that technology will improve to the point where permission slips may not be required for a school field trip or making a journey will not be the production it is currently. But for now, just go...
However you choose...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Another one of my favorite visuals...
My regular commute involves taking the F train between Brooklyn and Manhattan. For those of you who do not live here in New York or do not frequent Brooklyn, the F and G lines rise from underneath Carroll Gardens for two stops before burrowing back under Park Slope.
I always try to stand in a particular door way (worry not, I step out of the way for those coming and going) in a particular carriage so my progress from the train to the station exit is brief. It also allows me to see planes making their approach to LaGuardia Airport when coming home to Brooklyn in the evenings at the first above-ground stop, Smith St.-9th St.
The station is perched on a very high trestle that allows for unobstructed viewing of Staten Island, the Verazanno Narrows and Goethals bridges - on the incline, you can even see the Statue of Liberty.
But the sky is what I look at.
Especially the lights of aircraft preparing to land. On a heavy traffic day, whether twilight or dusk, the lights appear as a giant string of pearls spaced far apart.
They too are coming home.
I always try to stand in a particular door way (worry not, I step out of the way for those coming and going) in a particular carriage so my progress from the train to the station exit is brief. It also allows me to see planes making their approach to LaGuardia Airport when coming home to Brooklyn in the evenings at the first above-ground stop, Smith St.-9th St.
The station is perched on a very high trestle that allows for unobstructed viewing of Staten Island, the Verazanno Narrows and Goethals bridges - on the incline, you can even see the Statue of Liberty.But the sky is what I look at.
Especially the lights of aircraft preparing to land. On a heavy traffic day, whether twilight or dusk, the lights appear as a giant string of pearls spaced far apart.
They too are coming home.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Bookends
It is around 2:00pm on Christmas Eve and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is playing on HBO as I leave to run a few errands including taking a friend to LaGuardia airport. The scene playing is the first heist at the chicken farm. When I return in the evening, around 10:00pm or so, I turn on the TV and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is on; the scene playing is the first heist at the chicken farm.
I wake up at 3:30am on Christmas Day so that I can be on the road to visit family in Maryland. After shaking cobwebs, showering, and filling up on gas, I strike out into the blackness of 5:00am. I always take the same route: 4th Ave. to 92nd St., then over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, across Staten Island, over the Goethals Bridge, then I-95 beginning with the New Jersey Turnpike, the Delaware Memorial Bridge, then 895 via the Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore, then Ritchie Highway. Google Maps says it should take around 4 hours to make the 212 mile journey - I tend to average around 3 hours. Driving through the darkness with fewer cars on the road is very relaxing and I entertain myself singing along (when I can) to my guilty pleasures playlist on my iPhone playing through the audio system. After about an hour and a half of driving, I begin to notice the sky changing color to that piercing indigo such as when the moon is full. I then switch the playlist over to Rush - great driving music.
I finally meet my newest niece... I mean, my grandniece (I'm getting old), Abrianna, and, yes, she's a cute baby. She complains a little but is mostly smiles which is kind of mesmerizing to see. The other nieces arrive and are very surprised that their uncle is at their grandmother's. Food, merciless teasing of one niece in particular, surprises, laughs and Wii excitement until it's time for me to head back. The first thing I notice before I get back in the car is that the sky is the same overcast white-grey it was when I arrived 7.5 hours earlier.
The drive is mostly uneventful with the exception of the idiots out there who continue to cruise in the passing lane thereby forcing other drivers to pass on the right. If you do this, you suck because you are now creating an unnecessary and extremely dangerous situation. It's very simple: If you are not passing anyone, stay out of the far left lane. I digress...
Three hours later and I'm back in Brooklyn; the last hour is spent listening to the songs of Neil Finn. And the sky is as black as it was when I left.
I do enjoy the little moments.
I wake up at 3:30am on Christmas Day so that I can be on the road to visit family in Maryland. After shaking cobwebs, showering, and filling up on gas, I strike out into the blackness of 5:00am. I always take the same route: 4th Ave. to 92nd St., then over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, across Staten Island, over the Goethals Bridge, then I-95 beginning with the New Jersey Turnpike, the Delaware Memorial Bridge, then 895 via the Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore, then Ritchie Highway. Google Maps says it should take around 4 hours to make the 212 mile journey - I tend to average around 3 hours. Driving through the darkness with fewer cars on the road is very relaxing and I entertain myself singing along (when I can) to my guilty pleasures playlist on my iPhone playing through the audio system. After about an hour and a half of driving, I begin to notice the sky changing color to that piercing indigo such as when the moon is full. I then switch the playlist over to Rush - great driving music.
I finally meet my newest niece... I mean, my grandniece (I'm getting old), Abrianna, and, yes, she's a cute baby. She complains a little but is mostly smiles which is kind of mesmerizing to see. The other nieces arrive and are very surprised that their uncle is at their grandmother's. Food, merciless teasing of one niece in particular, surprises, laughs and Wii excitement until it's time for me to head back. The first thing I notice before I get back in the car is that the sky is the same overcast white-grey it was when I arrived 7.5 hours earlier.
The drive is mostly uneventful with the exception of the idiots out there who continue to cruise in the passing lane thereby forcing other drivers to pass on the right. If you do this, you suck because you are now creating an unnecessary and extremely dangerous situation. It's very simple: If you are not passing anyone, stay out of the far left lane. I digress...
Three hours later and I'm back in Brooklyn; the last hour is spent listening to the songs of Neil Finn. And the sky is as black as it was when I left.
I do enjoy the little moments.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2010 Academy Awards: Predictions and Personal Picks
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
To be fair, each of the nominees performances are quite good even if the films left me wanting a bit more. I've seen all these films so I feel I can speak with some authority here. Jeremy Renner's performance was very good and I consider him the underdog favorite to win. Jeff Bridges is great in "Crazy Heart" and will most likely win. It's such a weird feeling because my favorite film in this group is "Up in the Air" - but not by much.
Prediction: Jeff Bridges
Personal pick: Jeremy Renner
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglorious Basterds"
I've seen three of the performances nominated here. While "The Lovely Bones" had its moments, Stanley Tucci did shine, but not as much as Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa. Look out for Stanley Tucci as the underdog.
Prediction/Personal pick: Christoph Waltz
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Mery Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Having only see one of the performances, this is more difficult to make a personal pick. Carey Mulligan is great but many who saw "The Blind Side" raved about Sandra Bullock.
Prediction: Sandra Bullock (no personal pick)
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penélope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhall, "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
As with the actors, I've seen three of the performances nominated. And, yet, only one really stood out for me by more than just a little bit and I'm making her my personal pick. Mo'Nique has pretty much won accolades and awards for her performance and is the hands-down front-runner.
Prediction: Mo'Nique
Personal pick: Anna Kendrick
Animated Feature Film:
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"
If there were truly any justice, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" should be up for Best Film. I guess I'll have to settle for it winning in this category. But therein lies an obstacle and that being Pixar's "Up" - a good film, just out-foxed. "Coraline" was very dark and the story, surprisingly, not as strong as my two favorites. I'll have to make it a point to see "The Secret of Kells" which I've heard is quite good.
Prediction: "Up"
Personal pick: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Directing:
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Let me say that I wish this field was expanded also because there are two films, sorry, directors whose work should be nominated. I've always found J.J. Abrams work to be Hitchcock-wannabe but he did an amazing job with "Star Trek" - watch the featurette and you'll see what I'm talking about. The other director? Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was pure genius. It is a sad thing that "Fox" is not being lauded more than it should be. But the fight really comes down to James Cameron, "Avatar," and Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker." Out of the list of five, Quentin Tarentino's work, while typically Tarentino, produced a truly original and entertaining film.
Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Personal pick: Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Nick Hornby, "An Education"
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, "In the Loop"
Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
I wish I'd read the pieces these films are adapted from but that's neither here nor there. From what I know of these films (of which I've seen three), the stories are all solid. Look for Geoffrey Fletcher to take this one although I wouldn't mind seeing Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner to win this.
Prediction: Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Personal pick: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
Writing (Original Screenplay):
Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, "The Messenger"
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, "Up"
I've seen all but one of the work nominated and it might be a shame that my personal pick will be overlooked. If the work predicted wins, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Thankfully, "Avatar" was not recognized...
Prediction: Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Personal pick: Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
I'll let you know how I did...
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
To be fair, each of the nominees performances are quite good even if the films left me wanting a bit more. I've seen all these films so I feel I can speak with some authority here. Jeremy Renner's performance was very good and I consider him the underdog favorite to win. Jeff Bridges is great in "Crazy Heart" and will most likely win. It's such a weird feeling because my favorite film in this group is "Up in the Air" - but not by much.
Prediction: Jeff Bridges
Personal pick: Jeremy Renner
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglorious Basterds"
I've seen three of the performances nominated here. While "The Lovely Bones" had its moments, Stanley Tucci did shine, but not as much as Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa. Look out for Stanley Tucci as the underdog.
Prediction/Personal pick: Christoph Waltz
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Mery Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Having only see one of the performances, this is more difficult to make a personal pick. Carey Mulligan is great but many who saw "The Blind Side" raved about Sandra Bullock.
Prediction: Sandra Bullock (no personal pick)
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penélope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhall, "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
As with the actors, I've seen three of the performances nominated. And, yet, only one really stood out for me by more than just a little bit and I'm making her my personal pick. Mo'Nique has pretty much won accolades and awards for her performance and is the hands-down front-runner.
Prediction: Mo'Nique
Personal pick: Anna Kendrick
Animated Feature Film:
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"
If there were truly any justice, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" should be up for Best Film. I guess I'll have to settle for it winning in this category. But therein lies an obstacle and that being Pixar's "Up" - a good film, just out-foxed. "Coraline" was very dark and the story, surprisingly, not as strong as my two favorites. I'll have to make it a point to see "The Secret of Kells" which I've heard is quite good.
Prediction: "Up"
Personal pick: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
Directing:
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Let me say that I wish this field was expanded also because there are two films, sorry, directors whose work should be nominated. I've always found J.J. Abrams work to be Hitchcock-wannabe but he did an amazing job with "Star Trek" - watch the featurette and you'll see what I'm talking about. The other director? Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was pure genius. It is a sad thing that "Fox" is not being lauded more than it should be. But the fight really comes down to James Cameron, "Avatar," and Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker." Out of the list of five, Quentin Tarentino's work, while typically Tarentino, produced a truly original and entertaining film.
Prediction: Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Personal pick: Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Nick Hornby, "An Education"
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, "In the Loop"
Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
I wish I'd read the pieces these films are adapted from but that's neither here nor there. From what I know of these films (of which I've seen three), the stories are all solid. Look for Geoffrey Fletcher to take this one although I wouldn't mind seeing Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner to win this.
Prediction: Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Personal pick: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
Writing (Original Screenplay):
Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman, "The Messenger"
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, "Up"
I've seen all but one of the work nominated and it might be a shame that my personal pick will be overlooked. If the work predicted wins, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Thankfully, "Avatar" was not recognized...
Prediction: Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Personal pick: Quentin Tarentino, "Inglorious Basterds"
I'll let you know how I did...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)