the book, written by sara gruen, itself has gained a following even before talks of a movie adaptation surfaced. but when it was confirmed some time ago that mr. edward cullen himself was playing jacob, the following increased probably ten-fold thanks to the world’s most ravenous fans.

i’m not sure how literary snobs view this sudden popular attention from girls a-twitter to one book destined to be a modern classic (a book most of them would likely not even glance at if it weren’t affiliated with pattinson), but i am all for moving this story from the pages to the big screen whatever which way they want to do it. besides, i can always count on obsessed fans to post behind-the-scenes photos online.

this one, for instance. probably the part where jacob jankowski tries to hop onto a passing train.

directed by francis lawrence (constantine, i am legend), the movie is scheduled for release in 2011.

here’s jacob bruised and bloodied.

playing marlena, the beautiful rider in the circus’ equestrian act, is reese witherspoon.

she and robert play the star-crossed lovers, and, as rumors have it, are creating such wonderful chemistry, it might make the alleged girlfriend jealous.

in the role of the antagonist, august (animal trainer in the book, ringleader in the movie), is cristoph waltz. the one who made our jaws drop in awe as col. hans landa, the ss jew hunter in inglourious basterds.

here are jacob and august in what appears to be a conversation on top of a moving train.

and here they are… uh, probably going on set.

mark povinelli plays kinko/walter, the little man jacob makes friends with.

author sara gruen herself makes a cameo appearance. here she is with tai, the elephant who plays rosie.

since this is a circus movie, expect more animals…

let’s not forget the streets for the big parade.

and, of course, the circus train where much of the story occurs.

and here are my three favorite photos on set, so far.

true to devoted fan form, robert pattinson followers have put up an unofficial website for the movie. probably one of the best fan-made movie sites today, it is the most comprehensive source of information on water for elephants you can ever hope to find. including set photos, casting calls, tweets from people involved in the film and even this very interesting account from an extra. with journalistic tenacity, one blogger even went on location to take photos of the old hotel where some scenes were shot.

my favorite photos from her “coverage”:

head on down to the website for more things water for elephants. even if you aren’t a big fan of pattinson, you would find the goings-on behind the scenes such a magical thing to behold. let the fangirls unfold this spectacle before your very eyes!

who is he, you ask? he was anton in terry gilliam’s the imaginarium of doctor parnassus. if that performance is not enough to convince you that he has the acting chops to leave an indelible mark in the business, maybe you weren’t really paying attention. or maybe you think it doesn’t really take much acting to pull off the role of the friendly neighborhood spider-man…

he is 26 years old and, like tobey maguire before him, has that schoolboy look that can pass for a high school peter parker. he was a gymnast, so we can be assured that he can hack the action sequences.

the next spider-man film, slated for 2012, will be rebooted (that is, the series will start over with new ideas) and sam raimi will no longer be involved. it will instead be directed my marc webb (who was signed into the project last january), renowned music video director who has worked with some of the biggest names in music since 1997. the only movie credit to his name is the critically acclaimed (500) days of summer, a film that shows he can give the mary jane – peter romance angle superb vision, but has yet to prove his mettle in faced-paced action.

going back to andrew… you might also remember him as todd in lions for lambs and francis in the other boleyn girl. for his performance as jack in boy a he won a bafta award in 2008. he has also appeared on television, most notably in the crime drama red riding.

with his male model good looks, he will certainly leave a horde of swooning ladies in his wake as spidey.

speaking of modeling, he appeared in vogue december last year with one imaginarium co-star, model lily cole, in a hansel-and-gretel-inspired photo shoot. no less than annie leibovitz herself is responsible for these ethereal photos. i’m sure you can spot lady gaga in two of these.

images from comic book resources, the independent, fametastic and vogue.

oh, and daylight savings time ended this morning.

please excuse the semi-personal tone and the randomness of this entry. inasmuch as i would like to maintain a considerable emotional distance from this site, my personal blog is not worth its own domain, therefore is still feeling the residual effects of censorship. so this one would have to feel the cathartic blow in behalf of its alter ego.

julie & julia

first off, its general consensus is right to give it good marks based almost solely on the performances of its main characters. second, passionate food bloggers are even more right: amy adams is so adorable as the julie powell created for screen that if you do end up falling for how julie is depicted in the movie, don’t read the actual blog. don’t search for it, don’t read what the critics say about her as a food blogger. don’t even read my next sentence if you can avoid it. she never claimed to be a good cook (and she isn’t: she cuts corners and omits steps under the pressure of a self-imposed deadline), she takes liberties with very acerbic remarks, dispells loads of profane language and was famously unfaithful to her husband (she even confessed that in a later book) despite all the beautiful qualities, qualities essential to the film, shown in his character. you’d get the feeling of (spoiler alert here!) of julie when she was disillusioned by julia child disliking her blog… that is, the endearing image of the person you create in your head will be wiped away by the real one.

however, if you didn’t like the whitewashed movie version of julie powell, then do read her blog; it might change your mind. she was an extremely jaded secretary releasing frustrations in her writing replete with angst. given to episodes of neurosis and prone to meltdowns. in other words, she was like you and me. and i think this is the reason why her julie/julia project was so darn successful: she was extremely relateable.

just before i pressed play on the dvd remote, i told my husband about the mixed feelings i have going back to the philippines in two days. i miss the philippines, but i will also miss fiji. i’m not going back for good, but four months is still quite a long time to be away from the life we just created. and, i have to admit, i went away in an attempt to escape my own demons. going back means i just might have to confront some of them… or i have to consciously ignore them, which is a gargantuan effort itself anyway. yet i am all over myself with thrill going back for reasons my close friends know well about… but even that would mean breaking some people’s hearts. this is life, folks, making tough decisions and taking accountability for them. our conversation eventually moved to turning thirty (which i did last year; no, i am not insecure about age, honestly) and how it should already be a milestone for something in one’s life. then i talked about meaning and mediocrity and the very absurdity of existence. yep, that’s how my mind rolls. if i cannot practice my degree in a university, i will practice it with my husband. i told him that the last few days brought me back to worn out times, the ones i have devoted to much dismemberment the past three years. so much so that while i was contentedly packing my stuff last night, i suddenly broke down when i realized i lost a pair of jeans. it’s like the insane parts of my life decided to take advantage of my mixed feelings and ganged up on me by hiding my favorite jeans where i couldn’t find them.

so in effect, i know how julie powell felt. many of us do. we know how it feels to be utterly exhausted and the idea of succumbing to the gnawing urge to get a life. julie’s way was to complete something by way of her blog project. my way is something else altogether. i am finding myself in a little group we put up and in this simple endeavor with my husband. and, very very much like eric was to julie in the movie, so is my husband to me. he motivates me to take on things and frequently reminds me to look on the bright side. so i wish him a happy birthday! just before he left for his weekend show on the radio this morning, he loaded new kids on the block on youtube because he knows i’m happily cheesy and nostalgic that way.

so there it is, we all have a little (or a lot of!) julie powell in us.

concluding daylight savings time

alright, last night, i saw julie powell experience the existential pang of bitterness at turning thirty without a significant achievement yet. i’m not sure if i felt that depressed when i turned thirty last year, i was too pre-occupied with fixing holes to be bothered by a number… but i know how she feels. i think i felt it last night with my pseudo-philosophical drone as i packed my bags. i am carrying only one piece of luggage on tuesday, but i carry a lot of personal baggage.

as i turned the clock back one hour at three a.m. this morning to end dst, i enjoyed the idea that i am gaining an additional hour today. another hour to have my nails done, to walk around the marina, to spend with my husband. an additional hour makes a difference. then something occurred to me………

how many times have you heard or read the phrase “30 is the new 20″? it sounds fun, doesn’t it? a perspective trend perpetuated by people who wanted to cushion the blow of approaching thirty. if you think this is just some frivolous way of thinking, think again (read the scientific abstract here).

sooooo…….. if indeed 30 is the new 20 and i just turned thirty around the time this phenomenon was documented, that means… i gain an additional decade, right?! it’s like turning back the clock at the conclusion of daylight savings time! you get more time to do the things you want to do!

people my age, we were twenty when the age of twenty was generally viewed as the transition to adulthood, the time to make and learn from mistakes, to love and lose, to try over and over until our heads spin with dream-chasing. now we’re thirty when the age of thirty is the new twenty, therefore we have been given another decade to… well, do all those stuff again. does that make sense?? we get the decade of chasing dreams twice! circumstances have granted us another chance to make good in accepting responsibilities as adults. another chance to learn, to love, to dance!

am i making sense?

if you just turned thirty like me (or will be turning thirty soon), consider yourself re-commissioned. man, i’m so glad i turned thirty at this point in history.

d.s.t. photo from wtvr, julie powell photo from ecorazzi.

of course there are leonard nimoy, mark hamill, etc. “hall of fame” geek-worshipped actors that will put even the most aloof of fanboys in starstruck mode to last for weeks. but the modern age of graphic effects has brought us an onslaught of films that will rock einstein and newton in their graves; along with it, a whole slew of movie personalities that make the thousand-sit-ups-a-day routine some backyard hobby for any aspiring actor.

here are the top ten sci-fi fantasy, literary cult actors still active today who, based on my humble opinion, landed the coolest, most enviable roles:

update: i wanted to keep this a top ten, but now that i think about it carefully, there are two more actors who deserve to be adored by geeks. so here’s the top 12, the coolest dozen:

12. gerard butler

he delivered some of the most memorable lines in 300 as king leonidas and we fantasized about bringing him home in his loincloth. prior to that, he was terry sheridan in tomb raider: the cradle of life; after that he played kable in the cyber sci-fi gamer. oh, and do you know he also played beowulf at some point?

11. jake gyllenhaal

the title role alone in donnie darko put him on the radar of all geeks alive.

now, ten years later, he comes back to the forefront of followers as prince dastan in prince of persia: the sands of time.

10. robert downey, jr.

who on earth can bounce back like robert downey jr? he had problems with substance abuse, was arrested, rehabilitated, relapsed and rehabilitated again in a span of five years. in these his sober years, not only did he come back to the big screen, he ruled the box office as tony stark in iron man, got nominated for an oscar for his role kirk lazarus in tropic thunder (which he lost to another geek idol, heath ledger as the joker) and got nominated for a golden globe as holmes in sherlock holmes.

9. ryan reynolds

one of the fastest-rising stars, if not the fastest rising star, of the last few years.

one actor who played major characters in the three major comic book publishers: vertigo’s hannibal king in blade: trinity, marvel’s deadpool in x-men origins: wolverine and we will see him soon as dc’s hal jordan in green lantern.

8. ralph fiennes

my life-long crush. my fantasy. the one i dreamed of meeting on the front yard, mowing the lawn. he gave us some of the most critically acclaimed roles in the last two decades (amon goeth in schindler’s list, charles van doren in quiz show, count almasy in the english patient, justin quayle in the constant gardener… someone please already give him the darn oscar), but his first few geek-worthy roles, lenny nero in strange days and john steed in the avengers, didn’t receive as much praise from critics (though lenny nero was loved by fanboys anyway). in more recent years, he became even more entrenched into the geek culture as the supreme antagonist: he provided the voice for rameses in the prince of egypt, played francis dolarhyde in the red dragon and lord voldemort in the harry potter series.

in next month’s clash of the titans, we will see him again as… who else? the god of the underworld, hades.

7. hugh jackman

he became the world’s sexiest man after he played wolverine in the x-men series. van helsing was an okay movie, he was gorgeous there as usual. his other role for the geek market may not have been as well-received except by the staunchest of fanboys (stanley jobson in swordfish). but i think his turn as the great danton in the prestige was the most superb. and he’s too darn hot and funny.

6. alan rickman

i think alan rickman’s sheriff of nottingham outshone costner’s robin hood in robin hood: prince of thieves. i think he was the coolest heaven-sent entity as metatron in dogma. he was the the best stock character, judge turpin, to the anti-hero in sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street. i imagined prof. severus snape looking exactly like him even before any of the harry potter movies were in production. plus his was the manic-depressive voice of marvin, the paranoid android, in the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy.

5. keanu reeves

if you are wondering what’s with monotone keanu reeves and all these fantastic roles… well, you are not alone. for a six-time razzie-nominated actor, his career sure is doing mighty fine. he first stamped his mark into the movie adaptations game as jonathan harker in dracula. his first cyber sci-fi turn as johnny in johnny mnemonic received harsh criticism from both film critics and i.t. professionals themselves, but in his next cyber fantasy film, the matrix trilogy, his smooth and bullet-dodging, bullet-deflecting neo quickly became the envy of each and every male in the world. then he had to play john constantine in constantine to further fuel the envy. what about the voice of bob in a scanner darkly? true to his inconsistency, his last sci-fi role, klaatu in the day the earth stood still, was another set of bad reviews.

do you like the idea of keanu playing spike in the upcoming cowboy bebop movie adaptation? what about dr. jekyll in the upcoming jekyll? let the hardcore fanboys decide on that.

4. sir ian mckellen

he is not “sir” ian mckellen for nothing. throughout a long and illustrious career, he played role after role to critical success on both screen and stage.

he cemented a place for himself in the hearts and minds of the masses by playing supervillain magneto in the x-men series and, while he was still under contract for that role, superwizard gandalf in the lord of the rings trilogy.

that last role alone put him next to leonard nimoy in the hall of fame.

3. christian bale

we all know he picked up the most lucrative batman with christopher nolan, the same director who gave him alfred borden in the prestige. he added more to the bank and box office appeal by playing john connor in the latest and massively anticipated terminator salvation. but before he became a household name as the dark knight, he has been adored by geeks the world over for playing freaky jason bateman in the movie adaptation of american psycho and john preston in the sci-fi equilibrium. with all these action/thriller roles he is getting best known for, do you even remember his sensitive classic literature-based movie roles?: he was laurie in little women, edward rosier in portrait of a lady, demetrius in a midsummer night’s dream and mandras in captain corelli’s mandolin.

2. johnny depp

do i even have to explain this? edward scissorhands in edward scissorhands, dean corso in the ninth gate, ichabod crane in sleepy hollow, jack sparrow in the pirates of the carribean trilogy, willy wonka in charlie and the chocolate factory, voice of victor in the corpse bride, sweeney todd in sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street, the mad hatter in alice in wonderland.

he is rumored to play wallace in sin city 3. got that?

1. liam neeson

his qui gon jinn in the phantom menace taught obi wan kenobi everything he knows…

… his ra’s al ghul in batman begins taught batman everything he knows…

… he provided the voice of aslan in the chronicles of narnia, the great lion of narnia said to be an allegorical reference to christ…

… this year, we will see him as zeus, king of the gods, ruler of mount olympus, god of the sky and thunder in clash of the titans.

can you top that?

images from just jared, comic book movie, ace showbiz and yahoo! movies.

The Hurt Locker should have won for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Kathryn Bigelow should have gotten the Best Director win, period.

Instead, Avatar, which I call “Titanic: Take 2″, won for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and James Cameron wins for Best Director. I’m sorely tempted to believe Avatar’s win was a triumph of glossy, shallow style and overinflated hype over serious substance and thoughtful intelligence…

and the hangover winning against (500) days of summer? and qt not getting best screenplay, having lost to one that was adapted? i don’t rant like other buffs who hate the idea of distinguishing drama from comedy/musical saying a good movie should be a good movie no matter what genre, but i’m beginning to see the irony in failing to distinguish original from adapted screenplay. i really don’t know what’s up with the foreign press, i am tempted to take ricky gervais’ joke about buying the awards seriously.

anyhow, i think i can get over this and i think the only real upset that can occur in this year’s awards show is if christoph waltz loses to whoever in the world. winning for his supporting role in inglourious basterds was a no-brainer.

and since i can’t say anything good about avatar taking the plum, i might as well move on to the red carpet…

there were less black and more pales this year. the ones who wore color wore them loud and proud. the ones who wore crystals wore them plenty. i like that more ladies were taking to prints. and oh, i loved very much that it rained because i am crazy about scenes with umbrellas. look at the gentlemen keep their ladies from getting wet!

images from zimbio.

i like…

shaun robinson. i’m into layering different textures and this one created a beautiful rosebud effect in the most royal shades of blue.

dianna agron. i would have chosen a more youthful color and hairstyle, but the empire cut and flowy drape of her dress more than make up for it.

chloe sevigny. at first, i didn’t know what to make of the ruffles extending down to her sides, but it just kind of grew on me eventually. especially after she declared onstage that someone ripped her dress.

tina fey. i like this best. length and silhouette are reminiscent of the 40′s and 50′s, but the cut and print are very modern. and the shoes are gorgeous!

fergie. i actually think the tan brunette look is working for her, though i’d probably miss her being blond and wish she goes back to being one again later. the lavender brings out the blue of her eyes. that’s josh duhamel’s hand holding out the brolly for her.

amy adams. she was one of the few who attended the ceremony in a short dress. i love her shabby updo with the side-swept bangs! and the copper of her clutch and shoes are the best.

drew barrymore. my second favorite. i didn’t know what to think about the anemone sprouting from her hip at first, but like chloe’s ruffles, the strangeness grew on me and i like the overall effect. it’s the perfect sheer and scattered crystals.

lara spencer. the plain white dress made the perfect canvas for her blue cuff and necklace, as well as the pink of her clutch and cocktail ring.

ginnifer goodwin. my favorite photo moment. the blue of her dress provided a very sharp contrast against the red of the carpet. and her striking black hair, shoes and brolly with her fair skin made her stand out.

maria menounos. her dress, on the other hand, matched the carpet. props to her for braving the weather even if the train of her gorgeous dress was getting all soggy!

toni colette. i’m loving the art deco-inspired gold sparkle!

jane adams. she could have done without the necklace and carried a smaller clutch. but it’s a very pretty dress nevertheless.

jaime pressly. i wasn’t so keen on the dress, but when i saw the shoes, i was smitten. and i have always thought she had the most beautiful legs in hollywood!

olivia wilde. the slink and sparkle of the dress is very studio 54, i like! and she carried the coolest clutch of the night.

maggie gyllenhaal. if there is one lady who can pull off an unorthodox design like this, that would be maggie. she’s just too cool like that.

kate hudson. this is a dress that takes getting used to. because this is kate, known to be very ballsy with her wardrobe choices, i’m going to say i like this ensemble, feathers and all. i think she has the best arms and shoulders in hollywood.

felicity huffman. wait, i change my mind, i think felicity huffman has the best arms and shoulders in hollywood.

christina hendricks. she owns this look! she and nicole kidman had the same shade of dress, same shade of hair and same shade of skin that night, but i think christina was more exciting to see.

christina aguilera. another christina, only this one’s a music superstar. which means she can get away with more outlandish designs. i like the married with children classy christina aguilera! such a far cry from her dirrrty persona.

emily blunt. okay, by this time, i’m getting tired of strapless column dresses, but i just have to toss emily in. because she wore just the right amount of deconstruction (unlike zoe saldana) and she wore awesome cuffs.

sophia loren. this era, sophia will never do wrong in my eyes. she is 75 years old and still rocks more than you and me combined!

unlike younger celebs now who hold a clutch in one hand while the other is pressed to the waist, she carries a shoulder evening bag and waves to the crowd more than she poses! that’s old school hollywood, when good movies had good performances and good stories… wait, don’t get me started.

did i mention that she’s 75?

people’s choice awards are voted by the people and critics’ choice awards are voted by critics. duh. i just had to explain why twilight wins somewhere. it’s hard to swallow, but the people has spoken.

i will not waste your time.

here are the major winners of the 2010 critics choice awards:

best picture: the hurt locker

best director: kathryn bigelow (the hurt locker)

best original screenplay: quentin tarantino (inglourious basterds)

best actor: jeff bridges (crazy heart)

best actress: meryl streep (julie & julia) and sandra bullock (the blind side)

best supporting actor: christoph waltz (inglourious basterds)

best supporting actress: mo’nique (precious)

best acting ensemble: inglourious basterds

best adapted screenplay: jason reitman and sheldon turner (up in the air)

major winners of the people’s choice awards:

favorite talk show: the ellen degeneres show

favorite on screen team: the twilight saga

favorite tv comedy: the big bang theory

favorite r&b artist: mariah carey

favorite tv comedy actor: steve carrell

favorite tv comedy actress: alyson hannigan

favorite country artist: carrie underwood

favorite tv drama actor: hugh laurie

favorite tv drama: house

favorite movie actress: sandra bullock

favorite movie actor: johnny depp

favorite male artist: eminem / keith urban

favorite female artist: taylor swift

favorite comedic star: jim carrey

favorite rock band: paramore

favorite comedy movie: the proposal

favorite movie: twilight

favorite tv drama actress: katherine heigl

favorite independent movie: inglourious basterds

favorite pop artist: lady gaga

and for those of you whose time i have wasted with the winners because they would rather see the red carpet dresses, below are the ones i find interesting in one way or another. unlike the golden globes and the oscars, the earlier awards shows are less formal. thus, since the ladies can wear short dresses, we get to see more shoes.

images from zimbio.

critics’ choice awards red carpet

people’s choice awards red carpet

ok, ok, there is avatar, 12 years after james cameron brought us titanic in 1997, another year when it was personal to me. not because there was one particular film then that i wanted to win, but because i wanted titanic in particular to lose. there, i said it. the only oscar winner in history whose screenplay wasn’t even nominated. meaning, the story sucked. there, i said it. it won solely on its technical merits.

this is just my humble opinion. here’s my problem with movies whose only advantages are technical in nature: they don’t age gracefully. i watched titanic again a few weeks ago and i didn’t find the sinking scenes as impressive as i once did. that’s because filmmaking evolves, they advance rapidly. in a few years, many of the groundbreaking techniques now will be rendered obsolete and replaced by other groundbreaking techniques. so if you watch a technically charged movie with a flat story, say, ten years from now, all you get is a boring film with tired old effects. as opposed to movies whose clear advantages are their screenplay and the actors’ performances: they become classic. you can watch casablanca then, now and in the future, it would strike you the same way it did audiences over fifty years ago. not to say movies with a lot of sfx have no potential to become classic. look at star wars. puppetronics have since been replaced by cgi and the original jabba looks somewhat amateurish by today’s standards, but its story and character development make it timeless. i’d say the same for the lord of the rings. or maybe i’m just a geek.

this time, there is a lot of talk about avatar pulling another titanic on us. a very visually engaging show with lackluster story running for best picture but nowhere in sight for best screenplay nor its actors for best performance. admittedly, the movie was stunningly beautiful… on the surface. i did like it and even recommend it to my friends (as opposed to: i discouraged my friends from watching titanic. and they hate me for it). i am quick to emphasize that the sfx will blow their socks off, but the story is meh. it’s like ferngully in another habitable planet (or was that a moon?). or reverse dances with wolves as many critics put it. i do consider it one of the best films of 2009, simply because the whole spectacle was riveting. but i couldn’t stand the idea that it might win over

inglourious basterds.

it will break me in half. sfx, no matter how magnificent, should never precede a good story. titanic has done it before to l.a. confidential. please don’t let mr. cameron do it again. i have tremendous respect for him and his craft, he is indeed a visionary director, but we just can’t let sappy stories with full-on effects get in the way of our good judgment. i like james cameron for terminator and arnold schwarzenegger, but that feels like a very distant past now.

although, for the life of me, i don’t know how a “historical fantasy” can take the plum, especially one that strikes extra-sensitive chords. especially one that takes liberties with its free rein on historical facts surcharged with moral and ethical considerations, it’s almost sacrilege. it doesn’t help that it was written and directed by quentin tarantino, of course. i think it’s about time he gets the award. he ought to win one eventually, right? what better chance to do it than for this film.

here’s another extra-juicy bite to the unfurling awards red carpet: best picture forerunner the hurt locker, touted as the most powerful movie about the war in iraq, is directed by kathryn bigelow, only the third female ever to be nominated for best director. experts surmise she might just become the first female to win a major award for that category (she has bagged the earlier awards to support that claim). she happens to be james cameron’s ex-wife. ooooohh… wouldn’t it be too succulent to have an ex-wife pull the rug from under the ex-husband’s feet? i am also rooting for you, ms. bigelow! because i love uncanny plot twists!

the second-largest awards ceremony, the golden globes, announced their picks last december 15. as we all know, this is a reliable preamble to the oscars, although there have been occasions when one and the other disagreed on best picture (like sense and sensibility won the gg, then braveheart won the oscar in 1995, yet another year when the awards was personal to me).

here are the nominees for golden globe 2010:

best picture – drama:
avatar
the hurt locker
inglourious basterds
precious
up in the air

best picture – comedy or musical:
(500) days of summer
the hangover
it’s complicated
julie and julia
nine

best director:
james cameron – avatar
kathryn bigelow – the hurt locker
quentin tarantino – inglourious basterds
clint eastwood – invictus
jason reitman – up in the air

best screenplay:
it’s complicated
the hurt locker
inglourious basterds
up in the air
district 9

best actor – drama:
jeff bridges – crazy heart
george clooney – up in the air
colin firth – a single man
morgan freeman – invictus
tobey maguire – brothers

best actress – drama:
emily blunt – the young victoria
sandra bullock – the blind side
helen mirren – the last station
carey mulligan – an education
gabourey sidibe – precious

best actor – comedy or musical:
matt damon – the informant!
daniel day-lewis – nine
robert downey, jr. – sherlock holmes
joseph gordon-levitt – (500) days of summer
michael stuhlbarg – a serious man

best actress – comedy or musical:
sandra bullock – the proposal
marion cotillard – nine
julia roberts – duplicity
meryl streep – it’s complicated
meryl streep – julie and julia

best supporting actor:
matt damon – invictus
woody harrelson – the messenger
christopher plummer – the last station
stanley tucci – the lovely bones
christoph waltz – inglourious basterds

best supporting actress:
penelope cruz – nine
vera farmiga – up in the air
anna kendrick – up in the air
mo’nique – precious
julianne moore – a single man

some (insignificant) comments:

a deep and resounding yesssss for christoph waltz! he has won all supporting actor trophies so far, he should get the major ones too. he is nominated for both the screen actors guild and the golden globe, he’d likely be nominated for the oscar. he is downright fantastic, he is terrifying and hilarious in parts as an ss. who would have thought someone could pull off a role like that? thank you, mr. tarantino for picking up a little-known talent from austria and giving him a big break!

i’m somewhat tired of seeing merryl streep every year among the nominees. she’s a fantastic actress, no doubt, but it seems as if they just put her in because they can’t find anyone else to fill the slot. and i don’t want her to tie katharine hepburn’s long standing record for most oscar acting awards… that’s just me.

check out, mo’nique in the highly acclaimed precious! that darn funny girl can give a darn good drama performance too!

seriously, sandra bullock? was the year really that slack for actresses in comedy? i love sandra bullock, i think she’s funny and relevant in the film industry, but her performance in the proposal isn’t so good it could warrant a nomination.

come to think of it… looks like a weak year for comedy altogether. nine gets a nod despite all the bad press and the mainstream frivolity the hangover is there with it. don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about the hangover, i just thought this category was for films along the caliber of four weddings and a funeral and moulin rouge.

hey look, tobey maguire’s up for best actor. i won’t say anything for nor against it, but didn’t jeremy renner for the hurt locker give a more critically acclaimed and more talked-about performance? shouldn’t his name be up there instead?

here’s hoping too that inglourious basterds win for best ensemble cast in sag!

it really hurts to know what could have been.

i probably am not the best person to write a film review, what with my deeply rooted biases, so i wouldn’t even attempt to. for those of you who have loved michael jackson even a little bit growing up, and those who kept abreast of his life and times and stuck by him through his legal battles and personal ordeals, you should watch this movie. in fact, you might want to watch it twice in the cinema.

if there is any moral lesson we can gather from this production, it is speaking to people kindly even if you mean to criticize them. i asked my husband, the music and concert tour geek, if indeed michael jackson was that nice to production staff… or are they just playing up his niceness to leave a remarkable impression of saintly behavior to his fans? whatever the reality, only michael can correct a guitarist and say, “do it for love” at the end of his comment; or call out to the sound guys about ramming his inner ears then say, “i’m saying that with love, L-O-V-E.” indeed, only michael can get away with saying that.

another thing we can learn is synergy. from the dancers, the singers, the musicians, the technical staff, heck from the mind-blowing pyrotech guys, everything and everyone somehow melded into one workable unit. of course, if there had been any heated arguments or pouty walking out, the disruptions wouldn’t have made it into final production. but that wouldn’t have affected my opinion that the entire group was so synergistic and extremely supportive of each other, all teams the world over should sit up and take notes.

one of my biggest frustrations about this concert not coming into fruition, which i think i will carry until my last breath, is the fact that we won’t see michael in the fantastic costumes designed for him and the other performers, along with some classics recreated with greater intensity especially for this tour. the bedazzled gloves and socks, the iconic “thriller” red jacket embedded with fiber-optic lights that flash in time to the beat, the regimental regalia for “i just can’t stop loving you”, and what seems to be a cosmos-inspired white suit for “billie jean” heavy laden with thousands of swarovski crystals and led lights.

perhaps the most significant feeling i developed while watching this film is a tremendous respect for director kenny ortega (btw, if you don’t know who kenny ortega is, give yourself a swift kick in the butt. he worked with gene kelly in xanadu, directed and/or choreographed such classic music videos as “material girl” and movies like dirty dancing. if these titles still don’t make sense to you, here: he choreographed and directed the high school musical franchise).

while a reliable review mentioned that ortega can seem fawning and quite obsequious towards michael, i hope you also note the fact that this is michael we are talking about. even if you were not particularly supportive of his achievements and his lifestyle, you would still end up admiring the skills and story behind the man. besides, we should also remember that ortega directed both the dangerous and the history world tours, therefore he definitely knows better than any of us how to deal with michael jackson.

on a rather unrelated note: this year, kenny ortega lost two of the most talented stars he has worked extensively with: michael jackson (he directed the dangerous and history world tours) and patrick swayze (he choreographed dirty dancing and to wong foo, thanks for everything, julie newmar).

as this is it continues to shatter box office records worldwide, i can’t help but think this is not over yet.

i like my occasional romcoms. though i am the first to lift the achtung sign when the cheesy parts are about to commence, i relish the lighthearted and lightheaded emotions that steam away deep-seated anxieties. that’s the power of kilig, no matter how unrealistic.

sandra bullock once played the slave-driven subordinate to hugh grant’s role as insensitive billionaire boss in two weeks notice, but in what must be this year’s biggest romantic comedy, she takes a jab at being the boss from hell. with an efficient but underappreciated executive assistant, andrew paxton played by ryan reynolds, bullock’s margaret tate will make you laugh as a big city girl trying to survive a family reunion in alaska.

as usual, the fashion makes the movie more memorable for me. here are the ensembles that make me love margaret tate even if she is, as gammy annie tells, “satan’s mistress”:

this now iconic proposal scene will surely go down romantic comedy history. replete with the prada handbag and christian louboutin pumps.

boating their way to the family estate. traveling in style with hermes birkin and face a face sunglasses.

insert awkward here. meeting the family in a gray mock wraparound dress (i'm crazy about the details on this one).

plaid boyfriend flannel robe over sexy negligee. rescued shelter puppy optional.

crisp classic white shirt over black pants and christian louboutins. not exactly bachelorette surprise attire, but very nice nevertheless.

as margaret feels more at home in alaska, so does her outfit. two layers of sweaters, a striped scarf and cropped pants.

antique wedding dress from gammy, pre-alterations.

much less uptight the second time around. a casual chic top with gathering detail and a slim belt.

sandra bullock with director anne fletcher. puff-sleeved top with wide stripes. my favorite.