And the Oscar Goes to... part three

About 1 week away from the Oscars! Crazy! I actually rented Beasts of the Southern Wild at my local RedBox but have not been able to watch it yet. Since it is snowing tonight, I may just stay home and watch it!

Just fyi, these are some of the less exciting categories that I know very little about and am basically just randomly making educated guesses.

Animated Feature Film
Nominees: Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Wreck-It Ralph

My Pick: Brave

Although I didn't get the chance to see Brave, I have heard great things about it and it is on my list to see, I'm going to go out on a limb and pick it. Dinsey/Pixar has a great record at the Academy Awards (9 nominations and 6 wins) and a great record of making quality, entertaining family movies.

The others seem to be a little bit lower quality of film. However, the one I would say to watch is Frankenweenie directed by Tim Burton. While I am not a Tim Burton fan, he is popular and considered "artsy" or something, but, it is important to note, he has never won.

Cinematography
Nominees: Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall

My Pick: Skyfall

This category has lots of previous nominees in it which makes it a real toss up. I'll level with you, I'm pulling for Skyfall because this is its cinematography person's 10th Oscar nomination and he has never won before. 10th times a charm, right?

Others to watch: Django and Lincoln. This is Robert Richardson's, of Django, eighth nomination in this category and he has won 3 times before (Hugo in 2011, The Aviator in 2004, and JFK in 1991), and Janusz Kaminski's, of Lincoln, sixth nomination  and he has won twice before (Saving Private Ryan in 1998 and Schindler's List in 1993).

Of these two I really like Lincoln best. Cinematically it was different. It was one of those things I cannot really put my finger on but it was very clear that it was different. Plus, it had some pretty intense war/fighting scenes. It would probably be my pick if I didn't just want Skyfall to win so Roger Deakins could break his losing streak.

Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

Costume Design
Nominees: Anna Karenina, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman

My Pick: Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror

This is one that I had really narrowed down my pick between Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman (neither of which I have seen) and was really unsure and then just found myself writing Mirror Mirror and decided to go with my gut.

I think these two have the best chance of winning because they are more creative films and the costume designers had much more creative liberty than the others, which are more period films and their designers had to stick more to the period than their creative side.

I think I chose Mirror Mirror primarily because of Julia Roberts dress. It is just striking. 

Julia Roberts in Mirror Mirror

Directing
Nominees: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook

My Pick: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Second Pick: Lincoln

Again, I have not yet seen Beasts but, just from watch clips and trailers, I think it is a unique film that took a lot of creative interpretation from the director. However, Lincoln is directed by Steven Spielberg who has 14 previous nominations and 3 wins. It is a historic film and a legendary director so I would not be surprised if it won but, again, I would like to see Beasts of the Southern Wild awarded for its uniqueness and the risk everyone involved took in making it.

I will add that I am very disappointed that the Academy left out Tom Hooper of Les Miserables. Like I mentioned in one of my previous Oscar posts, Les Mis is a game changer kind of film. Hooper took film musicals to a whole new level. His innovation in having the actors sing live during the filming rather than having it pre-recorded is, just that, innovative and raising the bar in the film industry and in acting. Because of this, I'm pushing for him to win as a write in!

Documentary Feature
Nominees: 5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers, How to Survive a Plague, The Invisible War, Searching for Sugar Man

My Pick: How to Survive a Plague

How to Survive a Plague is about the AIDS epidemic in the 80's and the politics and public opinion surrounding it. Unfortunately, I think we all know where the Academy is politically, and that typically influences their voting. Which is also why I think The Invisible War may also win. This film is about sexual assaults in the military. This has been a hot topic for a few years now and still has not made much progress. Between the two I think I would like to see The Invisible War win but I have not seen any of the nominated films to say that with any certainty.


Film Editing
Nominees: Argo, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty

My Pick: Argo

Film Editing?! Really?! If you someone can name the last three winners in this category without looking it up then I'll give you $100!! (disclaimer: not really)

This is just a random pick. I don't even know what makes a good film editor. But I have picked Argo because I think it's one of Argo's better shots at Winning. It is a good movie, just not quite Oscar quality.


Check back for my final picks and be sure to watch the Oscars February 24 @ 7 pm on ABC!

And the Oscar Goes Two...

Ok so these next picks shouldn't be quite as detailed. For one, there are fewer nominees in most of the categories, and two, I know less about them. 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), and Naomi Watts (The Impossible). 

My pick: Quvenzhane Wallis

Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild

Let's be real, this girl should win just for her name! I mean really, she is going to have a hard enough time in life spelling that and every form she ever fills out will never have enough little blocks so let's give it to her so she can always say, "Yes, but I won an Oscar!"

Ok now for serious reasons. She was 5 years old when they began working on the film and does a good enough job to be nominated, that's saying something right there. The fact that this film has received such critical acclaim and stars a 5 year old, is why I think she deserves the Oscar. 

Also, and maybe a large part of why I feel Quvenzhane Wallis should win, the category is rather weak this year. Jennifer Lawrence is my second choice because she is good in Silver Linings, but is only really exceptional in one scene (this one scene is why I think she won the Golden Globe).

Jennifer Lawrence with Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook.

 I do not think Jessica Chastain will win because of reasons stated in my previous post (see that here), and I do not think Emanuelle Riva from Amour will win because she is an old lady playing an old lady, nothing exceptional about that. Naomi Watts' film has not come to a city near me yet but I did like the trailers and previews I saw, but I just don't see her winning, even though it looked like a great performance by what I saw in the previews. 

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Nominees: Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

My pick: Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln 

Although my pick is Tommy Lee Jones, I picked it more because, of the performances I've seen, he is my favorite. I think more than the others, his acting really enhances this film rather than just contributes to it. This is also why I think Robert De Niro could also win and Alan Arkin will not win. 

Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook

Robert De Niro played a role that I think was a bit more challenging and out of character for him and I can't really picture anyone else in that role. Alan Arkin, on the other hand, didn't really enhance Argo in a way that no one else could. Yes, he brought some comedic relief and a unique sense of humor, but I feel like lots of different people could have played that role. 

Now, I must say, I am a little biased against one of the nominees in this category, and, unfortunately, I would not be surprised if he won. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my all time least favorite actors. He just gives me the creeps. I have never liked him in anything but I will admit that he must be a good actor because he is frequently nominated for different awards. I haven't seen the movie he is nominated for but believe he is always the dark horse who could win. 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Master

I do not know much about the final nominee, Christoph Waltz, nor have I seen Django Unchained. I do not think Django will win an award, but this could be the lone award that it wins. What also makes me thinks Waltz could win is that he won in the same category in 2009 for Inglorious Basterds and his role in Django is much larger than the roles of the other nominees in their films. 

 Actress in a Supporting Role:

Nominees: Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

My Pick: Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway as Fantine in Les Miserables

I bet you couldn't guess that one! While Sally Field is wonderful as  Mary Todd Lincoln, I believe Anne Hathaway is a shoe in to win (knock on wood). She brings such raw emotion to the part of Fantine and raises the bar for all future Fantines who take on the role. 

If you have seen the movie and still are not convinced that she should win, compare the following YouTube clips of the same song, "I Dreamed a Dream." Clip 1 is Anne Hathaway, Clip 2 is sung by Ruthie Henshall who played Fantine in the 10th anniversary production of Les Miserables at London's Royal Albert Hall. 

For me, this picture perfectly sums up why Hathaway should win. 

In clip 1, the same song from the movie, Anne Hathaway beautifully portrays Fantine's agony and desperation. However, in clip 2, if you were not familiar with the English language, and therefore could hear but not understand the words, and did not know the storyline or anything about Fantine's situation, you would simply think it was a beautiful song with beautiful music and singing. You would have no idea of the pain and anguish the song represents.

Hathaway's brilliance is that she maintains the beauty and magnificence of the song while at the same time conveying the wretchedness of life as well as Fantine's own personal despair. 

Although I do not think there is a close second, Sally Field is my number two for this one. 

Sally Field and Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln

History has not been kind to Mrs. Lincoln as she is often remembered as a crazy woman who probably should have been institutionalized or at least heavily medicated. I have personally always felt bad for her (the real Mary Todd Lincoln, not Sally Field) because I felt as though we forget what all that poor woman went through. Only one of her four children outlived her, her husband was president in probably the most tumultuous time in our great nation's history, her husband's life was constantly threatened to the extent that he had to sneak into his own second inauguration and later he was assassinated, and she suffered from a variety of illnesses throughout her adult life, oh and she had to be the First Lady. Life was hard on the poor lady, and I feel like Sally Field portrayed that well. She didn't just convey a crazy lady, but a mother racked with grief, whose greatest fear is more loss. 

Oh, and Sally Field looks just like Mary Todd Lincoln. 

Mary Todd Lincoln on the left and Sally Field on the right. 

As for the other's, I do not think they even come close to either of these performances. That's just me personally, let me know if you feel differently. 

That's all for now, check back later for more picks and be sure to watch the Academy Awards on February 24th at 7 pm est on ABC!!

And the Oscar goes to....

Confession: I love award shows. Maybe this makes me a little shallow and a little too "of the world" or some other not great quality but I can't help it. 

I'm not completely sure what it is about them that I love but I do. It isn't that I am star struck or that I like seeing a bunch of rich people dress all fancy or hear them botch an acceptance speech (cough cough Jodie Foster at the globes cough cough). Maybe it is that I just like seeing the people and nominees I like win, I don't know. 

Although if I had to bet I would say it is just my competitive side coming out. I like picking the winner. I like being right (that would also probably be the shallow/slightly arrogant side coming out) and yelling that my pick got ripped off when they lose. It is almost like a sport to me. But all of this is just my rambling.

After seeing Silver Linings Playbook with my former roommate Caroline, we were discussing the Oscars and she suggested I write a blog about it. So I am.

I started writing this and it started getting really long so I've divided it up into a couple of posts. 

Disclaimer: I have not seen all the films and some of the categories I'm going to skip because, really, how am I supposed to pick a film editor. We will just say my default pick is Les Miserable because I'm a little obsessed with it. 

Best Picture
The Nominees: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty. 

My pick: Les Miserables

I think Les Miserables is the top choice because it is phenomenal. If you have not seen it stop reading and go now. But more than just my obvious bias, I picked Les Mis because it is held in such high regard in the theater world that it was a huge risk for all those involved in making it and they knew it would be held to the highest standard. It is not Mama Mia. It was bad and the world moved on. Some people, who must be tone deaf, loved it. Had Les Mis been poorly done, it would have been disastrous; all of the names of those involved would be mud! But what really pushed it over the top was that it was not simply good, it was incredible. A magnificent film adaptation of a legendary production.


Although Les Mis is my pick, it is not however a shoe in. I think this is probably the hardest category, as it should be. There are lots of nominees and, unlike other award shows, they are all lumped into one. Like I said, I haven't seen all of these but I think there are some other clear front runners: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Lincoln. 

Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild are definitely the wild cards. I have not seen either of these but I am always wary of films like these. To be really honest, I had not even heard of Amour until I saw it listed as a nominee. However, I think it is a front runner because the Academy likes foreign films in America. As for Beasts of the Southern Wild, I've seen trailers, previews, and interviews and heard reviews. The reviews are mostly outstanding but that's not why I picked it. It is artsy and different and the Academy likes that (i.e. The Artist last year) and it certainly helps that it has been well received. 

As for Lincoln, it is a great film, Daniel Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln, and Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones both do a good job. But, it just isn't over the top. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, I will probably buy it when it comes out, which is saying something in the era of Netflix and Red Box, but I probably won't be counting down the days until it comes out and be at Target that day to get it, like I will be with Les Mis. 

Zero Dark Thirty is a toss up for me. I have not seen it and do not intend to see it because of some of the controversies surrounding it (although the day Osama Bin Ladin was killed I jumped up and down and celebrated like a 4 year old in a bounce house at a birthday party). Personally, I do not think it should even be a front runner but reality is that it probably should be, primarily because of political and historical reasons rather than the quality of the film. 

After telling this to my friend Caroline, she reminded that The Hurt Locker was similar and won several years ago (2010). Which is true, but, as the song says, "the times they are a changing." I think that the major difference is that The Hurt Locker was made several years ago, earlier in the War on Terrorism. Although Zero Dark Thirty is a different, but similar, story, it is the same war and polls from the election showed that Americans are tired of it, no matter what the political opinions surrounding it are. However, unlike the election, the American people aren't voting, the Academy is, and therefore I'm ruling it a toss up (but am secretly rooting against it). 

Ben Affleck in Argo

For the rest, I have seen some and not seen some. I'm sure all have their merits but they just don't strike me as Oscar winners. I did see Silver Linings Playbook and Argo. I liked both, although Argo is more my style than Silver Linings, but I would be shocked if they win.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor
Nominees: Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington. 

Who I think will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Who I want to win: Hugh Jackman

Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

Again, I'm a little biased. I loved Les Mis. But I have a case to make here. 

Both are incredible and deep down I wish they could share it. Like I said above, Daniel Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln. Everything you've ever heard about Lincoln Daniel Day-Lewis captures it. Every mannerism associated with Lincoln, he brings to life. The way he walks and talks and sits and grieves for our broken country,  is unreal. A similar performance would be Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in the Iron Lady. Both embody these historic figures. 

Hugh Jackman as Jean Val Jean In Les Miserables 

On the other hand, Hugh Jackman plays a legendary literary character. He pours incredible emotion into every word and every note he sings. He is my pick because I feel like his performance is critical to the overall success of the film by inspiring and enhancing the performance of the other actors and actresses. Whereas, I feel like Daniel Day-Lewis is the primary performer and the other actors and actresses, although good, don't quite live up to it. In the end I think Daniel Day-Lewis will walk away with it though because of the role he plays. When you see his performance, you compare him to Lincoln. When you see Hugh Jackman, you compare him to his past performances and other Jean Val Jean's you have seen. 

That's all for now. Feel free to comment. Check back later for more picks and be sure to watch the Academy Awards on February 24th at 7 pm est on ABC!!

Monuments at Night

Sorry I haven't been able to post as frequently as before, things have been a little hectic. However I did want to tell you about one of my favorite things I've done here in DC and it is definitely a must for everyone who comes here, the monuments at night tour. 

Washington Monument at Sunset

I did my tour with Bike and Roll which does bike and segway tours as well as bike rentals in DC and other big cities around the country. I did my tour with them mainly because I like to bike but there are also other companies that do monument tours and other DC sites if that is what you prefer. Or you may not even want to pay for a tour if you just want to see and take pictures of the monuments and if that is the case you can just walk (or bike) around on your own. 

Personally, I am a trivia and history junky so I (usually) like guided tours to learn interesting facts, some of which I will share with you on my blog and, although there are lots of people at the monuments and security,  I thought it would be safer to go with a group of people. However, you may think this is a waste of money for something you can find on wikipedia and I would still encourage you to at least see all the monuments at night sans the tour group.

Lincoln Memorial and the WWII Memorial at Sunset

If you are worried about the bike ride being too long, especially if you do not bike frequently, I would not worry about it too much. They have arranged the tour in a very "rider friendly" way. You bike to each of the sites, stop and listen to the tour guide give facts and other info about the monument, take pictures for a few minutes, and then finally ride to the next site. It is also a very easy riding pace. 

A few tips for your tour: 

1. When booking ask for a discount. Most tour companies give a $5-$10 discount if you say you saw their brochure or their ad in the DC visitor's guide, both of which are available at hotels. Even if you aren't staying at a local hotel you can go in and browse their brochures. Also, if it is a bike tour you can get a discount for bringing your own bike. Unfortunately they would not let me use both the bike discount and the visitor's guide discount. 

Me and my bike at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial 

2. Make sure your camera battery is charged. I thought that mine was charged from the weekend before but my camera, even if turned off, loses charge when it isn't being used. I did get some shots on it but not as many as I would have liked. Thankfully, iPhone cameras aren't half bad. Not great, but not bad either. 

One of the last photos I took before my camera completely died

3. Check your tour time and how long the tour is and if necessary make sure you eat dinner before hand. My tour was about three hours and because I am typically a late dinner eater and therefore did not eat dinner beforehand my stomach was growling so loudly by the time we got to Thomas Jefferson that even he felt bad for me. 

Below is a map of the sites we visited (the map is from google images and then I edited it with the Skitch app for iPad/iPhone which is really awesome!). 

 

We started at Bike and Roll at the Old Post Office Pavilion right by the Federal Triangle Metro station.  From there we biked on the National Mall to the following:

1. The Washington Monument

2. The White House

3. The World War II Memorial

 4. Vietnam Memorial (the wall and the names on the wall are kind of hard to photo at night/didn't show up at all)

 5. Lincoln Memorial 

6. Korean War Memorial 

7. Martin Luther King, JR Memorial

8. Franklin Roosevelt Memorial 

9. Thomas Jefferson Memorial 

After this we rode back to Bike and Roll via the Mall and saw the Capitol Building. 

Here are some more of my favorite photos from the night. I plan on writing more later about each of the monuments but that's all for now! 

WWII Memorial and Washington Monument 

Korean War Memorial 

Virtual Capitol Tour

Fall at the Capitol

As I may have mentioned before, I love the Capitol Building. The history, the architecture, the stories- the more I learn the more I love it. What is sad though, is that when people visit DC and realize that they have planned far too much than they can actually do, the Capitol is one of the first things they strike from their to do list, which is horrible!! I love the museums and galleries and restaurants and all of that but the Capitol is by far my favorite. You can see many different cool things and learn a lot in the Smithsonian museums, the Newseum, or the Spy Museum (all of which are wonderful!), but you cannot stand in the very footsteps of history in those places like you can at the Capitol. 

I think part of the reason people skip the Capitol tours is because they see the outside of the building and the dome and think that's pretty much all there is to it. They do not realize that there is so much more to it than just the outside. The inside is equally as beautiful if not more beautiful than the outside. 

The second reason I think people do not take a Capitol tour is because most people think about politics and think one of two things: divisive or boring. I'm not going to lie, politics can be both. However, the Capitol is so much more than just politics. It is the history of our country. I realize that most people also think history is boring, but this is not your typical school textbook history. Like I said above, this is standing in the footsteps of history. 

It is standing in the beautiful Capitol Rotunda where wounded Civil War soldiers were treated and died, where our country's heros are laid in State so that a grateful nation may pay their respects. It is where courageous people are honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. 

It is seeing the plaque that marks the spot of the cornerstone laid by George Washington. 

It is about standing on the star in the middle of the Crypt, the original center of the DC grid system and learning how George and Martha Washington were supposed to be buried here but because of his great foresight and the burden he carried for this great country, he chose to be buried at Mount Vernon because he did not want to appear that he, nor any other president or single person, was the center of the government but that it is a government of the people. 

It is where you can stand where Abraham Lincoln's desk was in the old House Chamber. It is where you can stand where John Quincy Adam's desk was and learn how he could hear the plans of the opposing party before getting up to debate. 

The Capitol, in all of its grand beauty, is the place where the geographic discovery of America and the democratic founding of America is remembered and celebrated and where history continues to be written everyday. It's a big deal, don't miss it.