That’s the longest title I’ve ever written. I think. Not sure, but pretty~
First, let’s start with Oscar talk. There are 10 animated shorts line-up for 3/5 spots at the Academy.
I think I’m too aware of awards this year, it’s just TOO MANY awards from around the world.
The NBR has named David Fincher’s The Social Network the Best Film of 2010, as well as Best Director for Fincher and Best Actor for Jesse Eisenberg who played MovieZuckerberg.
Don’t really know how I feel about The Social Network — I liked it fine, but didn’t completely love it. I would say it’s a good movie, but it really lacked a personal point for me.
Anyway~~~ here we go~
I can feel it in the air. Award season is approaching. I think Indie Spirit Awards are also done with submissions, and their nominations should arrive come early December.
In the meantime, the Academy Awards has released the list of the 65 countries (or not-countries… Greenland?) that will be competing for 5 spots as “Best Foreign” nominees, as well as their 8 short documentaries.
Here are some of the reviews of the ones I’ve seen.
Let’s talk wild guess predictions in here. Which countries will be the 5 chosen ones?
Mexico’s Biutiful seems like an easy assumption.
China’s Aftershocks seems to be a good candidate for several reasons besides “film”. Whatever your thoughts on melodrama are, I mean… you really need to be a sour grape not to feel something for the family in that film. Either that, or you’ve never been in a natural disaster. Having said that, it is because it’s a melodrama that it’s perfect for Oscar. Moving family drama that deals with catastrophe with a really powerful and magnificently handled Earthquake scene that was a box office hit in China. It’s just good business.
Also, China being nominated is controversial. Anything to do with China since 2008 is controversial. Controversial always brings ratings. Also nominating China is just plain good business. If China gets nominated – I dunno, what are the chances of some state channel broadcasting the Oscar? Just imaging 2/3 of China’s internet population watches the Oscar that night. That’s 200 million viewers. Anything in China is big.
If there’s no China, it must be another cheese movie… like South Korea’s A Barefoot Dream. An underdog story of a kiddie football team and a coach. It shall make you feel happy xD
Canada’s Incendies?
and… I dunno what else. Peru’s chances? From what I have seen, and what I’ve heard. It could very well get into the nine before they select the final five. I’ll have a better grasp once the 9 are out xD
Sharing this on the YAM 2011 LGBT Blogathon~
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I love complicated post titles.
AfterElton has just begun their voting for their 2010 poll of 50 Greatest Gay Movies. Plus, in honor of the first week run of Contracorriente (Undertow) on Peruvian cinemas, I’ve made a list of 10 LGBT related films that not many people may have heard about or seen… so these films need your voting. *cough*
And since AfterEllen is dropping the ball on this one — I was pretty sure they were doing polls on Lesbian movies, but oh well~
I am mixing it all up. Because I’m like that.
Look, I love Brokeback Mountain, I love Milk, and I certainly LOVED A Single Man last year. Some of my favorites are Were the World Mine, Show Me Love, Imagine Me & You, and I liked Love Songs as much as — or maybe even more — than you did, but this is about not so popular LGBT flare. There’s also a lot of foreign films because they certainly don’t get major distribution – so thank you, Internet.
Also, don’t forget to vote for Undertow! xD
Ooh la la!
Mademoiselle Laurent featuring Bokeh xD
in black and white. I love.
Thank you other-Amy for the link =D
Well, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?
Forgive the delay on the countdown, and I certainly hope that this sudden interruption didn’t cause any screw-ups on the next few inclusions (like it did with #6 on my actors list). Anyway, continuing with our 20 to Watch between the ages of 25-30, there’s no other than… another French actor! Louis Garrel~
Born in Paris, France, on June 14th 1983, this 26-year-old actor shot to fame next to his the 20 to Watch fellow co-star Eva Green on Bertolucci’s The Dreamers, and with less than 10 years acting, he’s become one of France’s most promising new generation actors.
Son of Philippe Garrel (director) and Brigitte Sy (actress), grandson of Maurice Garrel (actor) and godchild of Jean-Pierre Leaud (actor)… it seems like Louis Garrel’s got acting running through his veins. No wonder he made his screen debut when he was only 6. However, it wasn’t until he was of legal age (around 18 years) when he made his 2nd film.
After his big break with Bertolucci, Garrel starred on Ma Mère (My Mother) alongside Isabelle Huppert, and directed by Christophe Honoré, who would direct him in several other films. He followed that up with Les Amants Réguliers (Regular Lovers) directed by his father, featuring his grandfather in a supporting role, and sharing the screen with Clotilde Hesme, who would eventually play opposite him on Les Chansons d’Amour with fellow the 20 to Watch Ludivine Sagnier. Regular Lovers would eventually earn him the Most Promising Actor at César Awards, and the Best Male Newcomer at the Étoiles d’Or.
He continued his collaborations with Honoré on the film Dans Paris (In Paris), and Les Chansons d’Amour (Love Songs), which is possibly Garrel’s 2nd most popular film after The Dreamers, La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person), and Non ma Fille, Tu n’Iras pas Danser (Making Plans for Lena). He followed that up with work with François Ozon on Un Lever de Rideau (A Curtain Raiser), and Actrices (Actresses) directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi — whom he seems to currently date.
What’s in store for the future for Garrel? To be honest, it’s a mystery to me. The only thing I got to find out is that he’s worked on a short film titled Petit Tailleur, where he takes the role of screenwriter and director. As far as acting gigs? Nothing seems to be on the horizon at the moment, but that’s no excuse to keep an eye on him… Right?
Continuing with the countdown of our 10 actresses to Watch, on place #5 is none other than Ludivine Sagnier! Another French actor/actress on the countdown!
Born in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, Yvelines, France on July 3rd 1979, this 30-year-old actress – woah, almost didn’t make it – shot to fame by playing Julie on François Ozon’s Swimming Pool in 2003, but it’s probably most recognized by people in general for playing Tink on P.J. Hogan’s adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, alongside Jason Isaacs, Olivia Williams and Rachel Hurd-Wood.
Sagnier started out young, when she was about 10 with small roles on films as “the little sister” or “the little girl” and moved on to slightly bigger roles. It was in the year 2000 when she first collaborated on Gouttes d’Eau sur Pierres Brûlantes (Water Drops on Burning Rocks), written and directed by François Ozon, and turned herself into his sort of muse as she collaborated with him once again on 8 Femmes (8 Women) in 2002, and finally on Swimming Pool, which was well received by critics and earned awards and nominations in places like the Critics Choice Award (Best Foreign Film), Cannes (Palme d’Or), as well as the César Awards where Sagnier was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and at the European Film Awards where she was nominated for Best Actress.
In 2006, Sagnier was involved on Paris, Je t’Aime participating on the segment by Alfonso Cuaron, alongside Nick Nolte. She followed that up with great work in 2007, including a supporting role on Laurent Tirard’s Molière, as well as a role on Claude Miller’s Un Secret (A Secret) for which she earned her second nomination for Supporting Actress at the César Awards, and Christophe Honoré’s Les Chansons d’Amour (Love Songs) alongside Louis Garrel and Chiara Mastroianni. Add to that a starring role on La Fille Coupée en Deux (The Girl Cut in Two), which was well-received in critic circles, and well… we have to admit that has been her most prolific year as an actress.
In 2008, Sagnier participated on l’Instinct de Mort (Killer Instinct) alongside Vincent Cassel and Gérard Depardieu, based on the autobiography by Jacques Mesrine, a French criminal. The film also sprang a follow-up film called l’Ennemi Public No 1 (Public Enemy No 1).
Now in 2010, after having her second child, Sagnier has a few films ready to go. First up, it’s another François Ozon collaboration with Potiche alongside the 20 to Watch fellow Jérémie Renier, Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve, and Judith Godrèche. Followed by Pieds Nus sur les Limaces (Lily Sometimes) with Diane Kruger, and then Crime d’Amour alongside Kristin Scott Thomas.
So continuing with our list of actors, we move onto #5 with non other than French actor Tahar Rahim. And sorry for the photograph, I couldn’t find any cool photo of him big enough looking towards the camera that I could use, so this will have to do. You have to admit it’s a really stylish shot.
Born in Belfort, France, on July 4th 1981, Rahim is the 28-year-old actor who shot to fame for playing Malik on the critically-acclaimed film Un Prophète (A Prophet). Interestingly enough, this is his first major film role, after having played a “police officer” on the gory À l’Intérieur (Inside) just two years before.
However, after being nominated in the 2010 Rising Star Award at the BAFTA – beaten by Kristen Stewart… Oh, really? – and winning Best Actor at the César Awards (also with a Most Promising Actor win), at the European Film Awards, and the Lumiere Awards… well, we can’t help but wonder!
Rahim’s next project? The Eagle of the Ninth directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, a project which apparently has him with an ancient Gaelic accent?
Well, what can I say? After being able to front a movie like A Prophet, we want to see more. On Eagle of the Ninth, he co-stars alongside the likes of Donald Sutherland and fellow the 20 to Watch Jamie Bell.
Okay, since I have no idea when my computer will be back up, I decided to try to remember all the names that were on my non-back-up list of actors, in order to not delay my choices and ran into more names that are no longer 30. I am pretty sure that I have got all my names down, I just don’t know if I placed them in the correct order… but it will have to do.
So in the #7 position of our list of actresses to watch is none other than Eva Green.
Born in Paris, France on July 5th 1980, this 29-year-old actress shot to stardom by starring on Bernardo Bertolucci’s NC-17 film The Dreamers alongside Michael Pitt and Louis Garrel. However, she’s probably most recognized for playing Bond Girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig… or playing witch Serafina Pekkala on the fantasy film The Golden Compass, based from Northern Lights from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.
Green’s Silver Screen career isn’t even over 10 years, but with a start as Bertolucci, we can only expect the best from her, considering she’s stated she has no plans to go to Hollywood to get typecast as a femme fatale, instead she will be searching for the perfect script. Sure that shuts the door from getting exposure, but after working on films like Casino Royale, Kingdom of Hearts by Ridley Scott, and The Golden Compass — that’s like half her filmography — we think she doesn’t need it any more.
A self-confessed nerd — whom we have a weakness for — Green admires Tim Burton, Lars Von Trier, David Lynch, David Fincher, Cate Blanchett, Juliette Binoche and Helena Bonham Carter, so name-dropping doesn’t hurt her a bit. Top that off with a small commercial shooting alongside Wong Kar-Wai, which smells like good opportunity.
She speaks French and English, and is working on perfecting her American accent… and wait for it, she’s also apparently learning Japanese, which you know… would open doors there, since Japan loves anything French. And have I mentioned how exciting the Japanese film industry is? She seems to like intense directors, so could I see an Eva Green collaboration with Tetsuya Nakashima? Please, make that happen.
Sorry, I digress — What’s next up for her? How about The Last Word directed by David Mackenzie, who also directed Young Adam and Hallam Foe (aka. Mister Foe) alongside Ewan McGregor.
I’m starting out my list this week… with lack of visitor’s response.
No complaining from you then~~~
I’m gonna start out with 5 of the guys, followed by 5 of the girls like last time. Only properly.
