Oscars 2012: best dresses, best moments and RDJ

I promised some in-depth analysis, but you can't really expect me to keep a promise I made at 7am after staying up all night. Instead, my favourite dresses and moments, in summary.

Black Swan (2010) - release the darkness from within

directed by Darren Aronofsky / starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassell, Mila Kunis

 I had better luck today: the projector at the cinema actually worked! So now I've finally seen Black Swan. Before the praising commences (I've been reading Jane Eyre again and that old English is quite catchy!), I want to complain about something. I often go to movies alone, like, I'd imagine, many people do. So I went to see The King's Speech, alone. This is the dialogue that occured at the counter. Me: "Hi, The King's Speech, please." The girl at the counter: "One?" Me: "Yes." Okay. Then, yesterday. Me: "Hi, ONE for Black Swan, please." TGATC: "Anyone coming to sit next to you?" Me: "... No." Today, the girl at the counter gave me one ticket without asking questions. Then I get to my seat and a couple of rows below me there is a girl from my year and the first thing she says is: "Are you alone?" Me: (sigh) "Yes, I am." Just let me go to movies by myself, okay? It doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother you. Gee...

And actually, I'm very happy I went to see Black Swan by myself. I hate that awkward moment after a film like that ends and you quickly try to sweep the awe off your face and start casually chating with your friends. Now I got to stay in awe all the way back home. I still kind of am.

Black Swan is about Nina, an ambitious, passionate and talented ballerina, who lives to dance and settles for nothing less than perfection. She is cast as the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake, dancing the roles of both swans, the black and the white. The White Swan comes naturally for Nina, as she's reserved, graceful and vulnerable. Problem is the Black Swan, whose seductive, decadent and bewitching presence Nina finds hard to assume. Then there's Lily, the new girl who seems to have everything Nina lacks: she's loose, care-free, open and naturally flirtatious. The director of the ballet, Thomas, tells Nina the only person standing in her way is herself, but she's not so sure.

(OOOOH holy mother of... My flatmate just came to my door and said my name in a normal voice and I literally screamed and jumped about five inches to the air. I guess I'm still a bit paranoid after the film. I better sleep on it and continue tomorrow.)

Black Swan is... impressive. Very impressive. The haunting music and the camera angles create an ominous and oppressive mood that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through. There are hardly any lighter scenes or comic reliefs. The world from Nina's point of view is a cruel and selfish place, lacking love and compassion and kindness. She is fragile and insecure and as she tries to search her mind for its darker side, it slowly begins to fall apart. It is done very well and I might have had a few minor heart attacks because of the scariest scenes. Creepy, but brilliant.

Let us praise the female leads, then! Nina might've had trouble in finding the evil twin from within, but Natalie played both the White and Black Swan perfectly from the beginning. Enjoy that fully-deserved golden statue, momma! And Mila Kunis fits wonderfully in the role of the playful Lily. I also liked Winona Rider's minor role as the bitter ex-superstar ballerina.

It was fun watching the scenes with Natalie and her then-choreographer/now-fiancé Benjamin Millepied. I kept a hopeful eye for some secret mutual glances and lingered touches, but unfortunately didn't spot any. Natalie was right, he is a good actor! I totally believed he didn't want to sleep with her!

 Ballet is such a beautiful form of dancing and the Swan Lake is such an emotional and powerful story, with score to die for. Just a few tones of the melody of that final act gives me a huge rush of goosebumps. The last scenes of the film kind of blew me away and there's just one word to describe it: perfect. Black Swan is an impressive film that will linger in your mind long after the last frame fades away. (And I bitterly add it to the list of films that I think would've deserved the Best Picture Oscar more than you-know-what. (No, I'm still not quite over this.))

"How about I dance the Black Swan for you?"

Some post-Oscar sentiments 2011

Voilá, a more or less brief summary of the thoughts than ran through my mind in the Oscar Night.

(It turned out to be 'less brief'. So, if you're still dying to get inside my head, proceed by clicking below.)

My TOP 5 favourite women in Hollywood today

Because I'm shamelessly female and probably never get totally over my passionate fangirl-ism, I tend to write about male actors more than it would probably be healthy. And as much as I adore my RDJ, River Phoenix, Sam Rockwell, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy, of course, I thought I could for once leave all the testosterone out of a post and concentrate in the gorgeous, beautiful, talented, AWESOME ladies of Hollywood. Because, thank god, they're not all meganfoxes there. Here are the best of the best!

5. Keira Knightley

She kicked some pirate ass in The Pirates of the Caribbean, she was nominated for an Oscar for potraying Elizabeth Bennet in The Pride and Prejudice, she sweeped James McAvoy off his feet in that oh-so-gorgeous green dress in Atonement, she bent it like Beckham, she was cute as a button eating banoffee pie in Love Actually, she was a face of a Channel fragrance... and she's only just 25! Next I'm looking forward to seeing her in Never Let Me Go, alongside Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan.

FAVOURITE ROLE: I'm biased, yeah, but the only honest answer here is Atonement. She might not always be the biggest chracter actress, but she worked excelently together with the awesomeness also knows as James McAvoy. (No testosterone... Right. I'll shut up now.)

4. Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is the brain of Hollywood. She's always seemed so smart and sensible, staying away from the crazy partyscene and thus the tabloids. And good for her! Majority of people probably know her best as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels... Not so good for her. But anyone who's seen her in Closer, Léon, V for Vendetta or Brothers, for example, knows she's capabale of much more than just that horribly corny 'Anakin you're breaking my heart, boo hoo' melodrama. I also have a certain admiration for anyone who shaves her head and still manages to look outstandingly beautiful.

FAVOURITE ROLE: The red-headed, wild, mysterious, erratic what's-her-name in Closer. The upcoming Black Swan might challenge that, though...

3. Marion Cotillard

When I think about the French actress, one of the first things coming to mind is her little speech about/to Kate Winslet in the Oscars a few years back. It was one of those 'previous Oscar winners talk about the year's nominees' thingys, that easily are awkward, unnatural and corny, but she sounded so sincere making it really touching. Other than that, she did a role of a lifetime as Edith Piaf, which also made her well-known among international audiences, too, fortunately! She was a rare bright spot (not literally, though) in Nine and releaved another side of herself in Inception. I'm exited to see what she is yet to accomplish in the future, which surely will be bright for her!

FAVOURITE ROLE: The unexpectedly evil memory of Leo's wife in Inception. Who knew she can be so creepy.

2. Meryl Streep

There's not anough space. Well. 16 Oscar nominations. Been married for like 30 years. Funny (those accents in the end...). Gets older in a NORMAL, natural way. And still looks splendidly beautiful. Is a great role model. I've often said I want to be Meryl Streep when I grow up. Who wouldn't? She just seems to have it all together, but in an admirable way, not in a way that makes you jealous. Because she is so humble and sweet and genuine. She's a freaking godess!

FAVOURITE ROLE: Tough one. I have yet to see embarrasingly many of her older movies. I should make it another official project. Well, I'm not going to be entirely obvious, so I won't say Mamma Mia!, but I'll go for another silly answer - The Devil Wears Prada. Because she is just colder that ice in that one.

1. Kate Winslet

Oh, Kate. The lovely Kate. No adjective describes her better. I just adore her! I adore her down-to-earthness. She once said in an interview that she uses the subway. I can imagine her sitting next to me in the Tube and then accidently burping or something and then going "oh, sorry about that!". I adore her because she's so heavenly beautiful and always looking so elegant on the red carpet, on those pretty, simple dresses. And I won't even begin with her talents. Okay, maybe just a little. She makes us cry and she makes us laugh and she astounds by the feelings she is able to potray without words, so effortlessly. Just think about the brilliantly ominous scene at the breakfast table towards the end of Revolutionary Road. P.S. She likes being naked in movies. And she makes it cool!

FAVOURITE ROLE: I want to say Titanic. I also want to say Revolotionary Road and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Little Chidren. And I also feel a bit like saying Extras. So, I won't give you a specific answer. Because I love Kate whatever she does. (Though nothing tops her beauty in Titanic. Damn! If all the women in the world looked like that I'd change my sexual orientation right away. Haha, kidding. Kind of.)

A few HONORABLE MENTIONS aka consolation prices, because there are so much more women in Hollywood worth a mention.

1) Cate Blanchett. Great presence, guaranteed talent. She potrays the most beautiful non-human creature ever, Galadriel.

2) Anne Hathaway. A sweet girl-next-door, with a bit of an edge. Very likable as a person.

3) Maggie Gyllenhaal. The other half of my favourite pair of siblings in Hollywood. A special mention to her little role in the Sam Mendes film Away We Go.


Now, please protest!

Paris, Je t'aime (2006) - the city of all kinds of loves

directed by Ethan & Joel Coen, Alfonso Cuarón, Gérald Depardieu, Gus Want Sant, etc etc... / starring Steve Buscemi, Juliette Binoche, Nick Nolte, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Emily Mortimer, etc etc...

My top 5 Paris movies, #1

This had to be the number one Paris movie, of course. Nothing captures the different sides and moods of the city like these 18 short films, each one by a different director, each one set in a different part of the city, each one telling their own kind of a story of love. And Paris.

THE BEST:

Quais de Seine by Gurinder Chadha. A young man is sitting with his idiot friends by the Seine. The friends are being really lame and trying to hit on ladies. He makes a wise choice and chooses the company of a Muslim girl he meets. I like their open-mindedness, and that the boy has guts to be different from his baboon friends. And the mosque (which I've visited!).

Tuileries by Joel and Ethan Coen. An American tourist (played by the awesome Steve Buscemi) is sitting at the Tuileries metro station, and despite the warnings of his Paris guidebook he makes eye contact and tumbles in the middle of a young couple's argument. This is definitely the funniest section. Every guidebook of course has a translation of "What are you looking at, cunt-person?". Basic French... And the Mona Lisa cards and the little boy with his pea shooter. Haha. Poor Steve.

Parc Monceau by Alfonso Cuarón. Shot in one continous shot, this film introduces a man (Nick Nolte) and a younger woman, who walk the streets of Paris one evening. We don't know what their relationship is or who the Gaspard they discuss is until the end. Nick Nolte is brilliant in it!

Quartier des Enfants Rouges by Olivier Assayas. Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress shooting a period film in Paris. She has a secret crush on a man who deals her drugs. It's quite sad, actually.

Place des fêtes by Oliver Schimtz. Couple of minutes of romance between a Nigerian man, stabbed in the stomach, and a paramedic treating him. It's about love at first sight and a little about destiny, too. And about some violent idiots.

Pére-Lachaise by Wes Craven. An arguing couple in a pre-wedding honeymoon refresh their love with a little help from Oscar Wilde. I really like this episode. And I like the story about his last words (they weren't "Bury me under something ugly", like the man suggests. He really is quite funny, no matter what she says). And I like both of the actors, too.

Faubourg Saint-Denis by Tom Tykwer. A romance between a blind young man and a pretty actress, seen mostly in fastforward. It's really great, shot in a very interesting way. Natalie Portman is excellent and so is the actor playing her boyfriend.

Quertier Latin by Gérald Depardieu and Frédéric Auburtin. An older couple has one more drink together before their divorce becomes official. It's real sweet, if only every divorce was handled in such a mature way. I love how they joke together and how they know each other so well and still respect each other and love, too, in a way. "Bitch." Depardieu is also in a small role.

14e arrondissement by Alexander Payne. An American woman fullfills her long-term dream by travelling to Paris. She's learned French, and all. (Still, she's not totally fluent in it, which is great. I don't speak French, but it's still easy to hear her terrible accent.) But it's not so great she imagined it to be! She misses her dogs, feels lonely and eats hamburgers. Then she suddenly experienced a weird feeling, sitting in a park, eating a snack. She feels alive. The most memorable line of the film follows: "That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And Paris fell in love with me." Aww. It ends the film, suitably so. As a wrap-up, we re-visit some of the people we met before. It's great, just great. Ah, l'amour. And ah, Paris.

... AND THE WORST:

Porte de Choisy by Christopher Doyle. A freaky little film about a beauty salesman and some bitchy Chinese women. It's just really weird and I don't know what's supposed to be romantic about it.

Quartier de la Madeleine by Vincenzo Natali. A young, lost tourist meets a vampire and they suck each other's blood. Okay, it's not really that bad, at least it's different from all the other episodes. We meet the couple again shortly in the end, and after seeing them high in a wild party it all makes much more sense. Oh, and I'll always have a soft spot fo that blue-eyed little man called Elijah Wood. Ah, he's just so pretty.

In summary, Paris Je t'aime is fantastic. Its New York counterpart is alright, too, but not like this one. And the series continues! Apparently threre are similar episode films on the way for Shanghai, Rio and Jerusalem. Me happy!

Brothers

Today I was meant to see The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but they didn't have any in my nearest Makuuni. Shame, I need to go check again soon! I really want to see it, though I'm afraid I won't like it. Terry Gilliam can do very weird things, sometimes too weird (e.g. a film called Brazil...). But there are at least four reasons to see the film: Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law. Enough for me!

So, plan B was to watch this film that has been on my must see -list for quite a while now.

Brothers (2009)

Directed by Jim Sheridan. Starring Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal.

Long story short: Captain Sam Cahill is captured by the enemy in Afganistan. Back home, his family is told that he has died. Sam's brother Tommy, who's just recently got out of prison, does his best to take care of Sam's wife Grace and his two daughters. Eventually Sam returns back home, but he's not himself anymore. He's messed up, paranoid, haunted by what he did, refusing to tell Grace what happened (and looking like a skeleton, I might add).

So. It's Spiderman, Padme Amidala and Jack Twist all together in this excellent drama about family and war. First I have to compliment the cast. That nerdy Peter Parker is all grown up, I've never seen Tobey Maguire like this before. He's excellent, and I'm a bit surprised this wasn't acknowledged in the Oscars. He's very greepy at times, but also well showing the love he has for his family. Natalie Portman then... Everytime I see her in other films than the Star Wars prequels, I can't help wondering what made her act so badly in those three. Because she really is more than able to channel emotions in a believable and touching way! What was that cheesy, corny, phony "Anakin, you're breaking my heart!" horidness?? My guess is, George Lucas, mostly. With all due respect, George, of course! I love Star Wars anyway. And finally, the wonderful lovely Jake Gyllenhaal with those eyelashes I can't get enough of! Ah. No, but seriously, I liked that he played a bit darker character this time, with a bit of an edge! Those tattoos looked good on him, but despite his bad boy image, he still had warmth in him. But well, no matter what he does, his performance in Brokeback Mountain will always be his best in my book. Can't beat Jack Fucking Twist.

The characters were all great, real and easy to like. I just loved those two little girls! And even Sam and Tommy's dad got some of my sympathies, although he was a bit of an a-hole. The plot was interesting, and I was gripped by it the whole time. I cried a bit, I laughed and smiled, I was shocked, I was nervous... The end came too soon, I wanted to know more. I don't know if that's a sign of a bad ending or a good movie (a bit of both, probably), but I felt too many things were left unfinnished. Despite that, a very good film. I can warmly recommend it to everyone.

"I don't know who said 'only the dead have seen the end of war'. I have seen the end of war. The question is: can I live again?"

I read that they are planning on doing another Ring movie - in 3D, of course, are there other options nowadays... Why am I already sick with this 3D phenomenon? (Maybe because it makes my eyes hurt. I'm afraid my last Harry Potter experiences will be ruined because of it.) What's wrong with 2D? Nothing. Sure, sometimes 3D works well, but come on. If they really are going to re-release Titanic in 3D (and I'm sure they will, James Cameron likes money a bit too damn much. It's a shame he did Titanic, otherwise I could dislike him without boundaries...), I of course have go and see it, because Titanic on a big screen just has to be experienced, but couldn't they release a good old 2D version too? Please? Pretty please? It would make more money, my dearest James!

Hmm. I believe I was talking about the Ring sequel. Although I believe it might be a prequel! Since they kind of eliminated the change of Samara returning in the second one... But well, they said they found a loophole. Great. Anyway, that sweet little girl crawling out of the tv and practically out of the screen too sounds pretty scary. No way I would see it in cinema. Or who knows.