the mixx chic: January 2012

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Oscar Nom Nom Noms

It's official: the nominees for the 84th Academy Awards have been announced and I couldn't be more excited!! This is IT, people, the main event - the Superbowl, the World Series, the Tour de France!! I'm also shocked that I caught the announcement live this year but I guess that's what happens when you're snowed in in Prague and 9 hours ahead of the west coast. Anyway I am too excited to babble so I will give you the nominees in each of the three big categories and then give my take on each. Ready? Let's start with the big one:

Best Picture

War Horse

The Artist

Moneyball

The Descendants

The Tree of Life

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Hugo

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Here's the good news: the Academy made the collective decision to nominate two movies that were snubbed or overlooked in other award ceremonies, namely The Tree of Life and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Both films were well received and critically acclaimed - The Tree of Life won the Best picture equivalent at Cannes but for some reason just didn't make it to the finish line at most other awards. Enter classic Academy politics where sometimes the set out to right past wrongs. It this case it was deeply appreciated. Both of these movies are have been on my must watch list for quite some time.

Want the bad news which is more disappointing than "bad" but for continuity's sake I'll just say bad? Nine movies were nominated and while the Academy can and has nominated ten in previous years, they couldn't find it in their stingy little hearts to nominate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. "Why?" you may ask? Well, why not? When was the last time anyone tried to maintain creative integrity whilst keeping an incredible cast together for a series of eight films in the span of an entire decade? The epic journey both creatively and commercially transformed the British film industry and built so many bridges across the pond that we won't truly see the effects until it is too late. Putting aside its tremendous commercial success and world wide appeal, it is fair to say they there will never be another Harry Potter series. Were there better movies this year? Sure and they were nominated. This was the Academy's chance to acknowledge the series as a whole, a la LOTR: Return of the King. The eighth movie wasn't even my favorite of the series but the fact still remains that attention should be paid. Side note: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was nominated for three technical awards but this was expected since they have been nominated and won a few in past years.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir

A Better Life

George Clooney

The Descendants

Jean Dujardin

The Artist

Gary Oldman

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy
Brad Pitt
Moneyball

Some of the biggest surprises and snubs came from this category with Demián Bichir and Gary Oldman taking the nominations leaving Leonardo DiCaprio with none. It's a shame really and I'll explain why. My theory for what tips the scales for the academy is as follows:

1. Transformation: If you transform yourself into the character to the point of nonrecognition, you will probably win. There are plenty of examples of this since it happens more often than not - ie: Jamie Foxx in Ray, Charlize Theron in Monster, Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood, Helen Mirren in The Queen, etc. This is the trump card. Have people won without this? Sure, but it is especially impressive to watch and actor who you don't even recognize give a performance that ultimately renders you speechless.

2. Difficulty: How hard was it to portray this character? Did you step outside your comfort zone? How far did you have to go to get inside this character? Great example of people who did this really well and won for it are Natalie Portman in Black Swan, Colin Firth in The King's Speech, and Tom Hanks in Forest Gump. Here we all were still able to recognize these actors but their performances were raised above others because of what was required of them and how well they rose to that challenge.

3. Captivation: This is pretty self explanatory but if you can convince the audience that you are telling the truth and give a powerful performance that is so disarming it blurs reality - you are pretty much set up to at least be considered for a nomination. This is the most basic of the "requirements" and while it is rare to find a performance that doesn't include aspects of 1 and 2, there has been some recent winners that fall into this category, namely Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side and Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line. This is not to say that this is the least important aspect of one's performance - in fact I believe that the opposite is true. It really depends on the year and how tough the competition is.

Getting back on track, I believe that Leo deserved a nomination this year based on these three criteria. However I'm human, as is The Academy, and there are plenty of flukes and exceptions to the rule. Still, this year was one of the toughest for the men as I found the bar being raised higher and higher with each performance I saw.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close

Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis

The Help

Rooney Mara

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep

The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams

My Week With Marilyn

This is a pretty solid group and I don't think there were any real surprises. This category has five women who hit all three of my criteria (see above) so that makes it all the more harder. If you want to go with who did it best, then you'd probably go with Meryl. If you want to go with who moved you the most and who's performance will have the deepest impact, then it's Viola's to lose. I wouldn't count out Michelle either as she had the most difficult tasks of portraying arguably the most beloved star of all time. All three have already won some big awards for these performances and it will be interesting to see who the Academy sides with.

***

Best Supporting Actor and Actress had few surprises with Max von Sydow from Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Janet McTeer from Albert Nobbs both getting acknowledged. No shockers in Directing either though Terrence Malick from The Tree of Life snagged George Clooney's spot.All this aside, I really think those categories are set in term of who is favored to win. What will be interesting is who will take home Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay. Most awards do not take time to differentiate the two but the Academy does, opening the field to Bridesmaids, Margin Call, A Separation, Hugo, and Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy. I think that is the real reason the Academy Awards maintains its prestige - it recognizes all aspects of the work, from costumes and makeup to actors and writers. There is much to be excited about and I hope you too will be glued to you TV on February 26th. I'll be posting reviews of all the other movies nominated before then so you can a sense of what's up against what. Till then, keep the popcorn poppin'!

Thankfully yours,

the mixx chic

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Tonight's the night - the official begin of what many equate to the Triple Crown in terms of Awards Season. There are many categories - too many to consider here so I will only focus on the ones that I feel strongly about. I've done the work and seen over two thirds of the movies and shows nominated - there's still so much to see!! Here's my take on some of the biggest and controversial categories that will all be decided tonight:

Best Motion Picture - Drama

What might win

What should win

It doesn't matter if The Help was one of the best reviewed movie of the year or that it had a phenomenal cast that drove the story into the hearts of its audience. I've read the book, seen the movie twice and it still has an overwhelming effect on me. It's timeless. A treasure. A modern masterpiece. If you haven't seen it, it's the one movie of 2011 that you simply must. It's the kind of movie that makes you laugh and cry, furious and elated, hurt and proud. What more could you possibly ask for?

The case for The Decedents is strong. The cast, led by George Clooney, is strong but its the story that lends itself to such amazing performances. What The Decedents really has going for it is momentum and sometimes it all about timing. Here's to hoping that the buzz for The Help remains loud enough in the ears of the Hollywood Foreign Press because it truly is an exceptional film.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Who should win: Viola Davis

Who might win: Meryl Streep

I can't promise this will be last time I will urge you to see The Help because it probably won't so just humor me. Every single performance in the entire film was above and beyond and for that, they deserve every ensemble award of the year. That being said, if there was an actor that stood out, it would be Viola Davis. She spoke the truth through Aiblene with power, dignity, and incredible humility and gave what I believe is the performance of her career. It's the kind of thing you felt when you saw it, like you were seeing a character be brought to life for the first time. It's almost haunting and will stay with me probably forever - for that alone, I believe she deserves every award she is nominated for this season. Meryl Streep is the best actress of our generation, no argument there, and I have yet to see The Iron Lady. However, I find it hard to believe that anyone can top what Ms. Davis did.

Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Who should win: Leonardo DiCaprio

Who might win: George Clooney

This is probably the toughest competition of the awards season as the men really came out swinging this year and gave it their all. Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling both gave exceptional performances and any other year, the globe would be theirs (although I will say that I think Gosling got nominated for the wrong performance but I guess that's what happens when you had that good of a year!) The reason I think it will most likely come down to DiCaprio and Clooney is the nature of their performances. In The Decedents, we saw a side of Clooney that we usually don't get to see. His portrayal of Matt King as he struggled through unimaginable circumstances with humor and what remained of his dignity was honest and oddly refreshing. On the other hand, DiCaprio was J. Edgar and the way in which he showed us that fearful inner life through his his hard, aging exterior was flawless. What gives him the slight edge over Clooney is the transformation he mad into his character - it was virtually seamless. I didn't know where Leo ended and J. Edgar began but I know what I was lost in his world right along with him.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

What should win

What might win

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not been able to see The Artist yet but if the current trend is right, this should be theirs for the taking. I have seen all of the other films and feel as though they did deserve a nod; 50/50 was funny and charmingly heart-wrenching while My Week With Marilyn was a vehicle for some outstanding performances by Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh. Speaking as a whole, however, I'd have to give my vote to Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. A simple concept delightfully complicated in a way only Woody Allen can and while it is my favorite work of his, I still want to see The Artist.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Michelle Williams

The transformation made by Michelle Williams and the innocence that she infused into her performance of Marilyn Monroe was all that we could ask for. I think she had the toughest job out of any of the performers this year, perhaps this decade. Was she Marilyn? The answer is yes and no. She didn't attempt to copy Marilyn or be Marilyn. Instead, she told the story and her truth became our reality. If anyone else wins this category, the HFP clearly were not taking into consideration the what exactly it was that Michelle Williams achieved. It would be a huge upset.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Who might win: Ryan Gosling

Who should win: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Again, I have not seen The Artist so I cannot say for sure who this will go to. However, of the performances I have seen, I was beyond taken with JGL in 50/50. His performance was understated and real in an impossible set of circumstances. He was able to make a joke and tug on the heartstrings of the audience at the same time. Who does that? I was equally impressed by Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Underneath his womanizing, perfectly polished exterior was an incredible heart that added depth and drive to the story. As I said before, he had some incredible performances this year and in this one, he got the added bonus of flexing his funny muscle.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Octavia Spencer

Again, I really feel that there is no competition here. Octavia's portrayal of Minny Jackson in The Help was the perfect ying to Viola Davis' yang. She was everything a supporting actress should be while still shining in her own right. Without a doubt, she was that sassy, back-talking but fiercely loyal Minny who stole our hearts and said everything we were thinking. An honorable mention should go to Jessica Chastain who played Celia in The Help, giving an sweet, beautifully innocent performance.

That's all I'm going to cove tonight! Be sure to watch the Globes tonight at 8PM EST!!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Aloha, Aloha

This year, I rang in 2012 on the beautiful island of Oahu. Whilst visiting family, I was able to relax, explore, and take in this breathtaking island state. Take a look at some of my favorite sites!!