...or am I losing my mind?

Full disclosure: I liked the movie but not enough to see it again only for the purpose of choosing my favorite image so I just saw the first 10 minutes of it. I don't even recall the plot, but I think I remember what's important and that is that Joan is losing it in this movie.

I like this image because it seems as if the doctor is examining how well Joan is taking care of her nails.
Miss Crawford was an intimidating beauty and a true diva, less known for her acting skills (in comparison to Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis etc) and more for her looks and charisma. You would expect her to care about looking gorgeous in every single movie she appeared in, but in the case of Possessed she seems more eager to showcase her craft than anything else.

So, it's funny, to me, that this image, in a way, alludes to Crawford's polished appearance, when the movie cares about anything but that.

I can't be wrong, can I?

You know what? Nathaniel is taking too long so I'm going to make some predictions for the Best Actress 2012 Academy Award myself.

So, without any doubt, the Best Actress nominees will be:

Keira Knightley for Anna Karenina

Carey Mulligan for The Great Gatsby

Kathleen Turner for A Perfect Family














Viola Davis for Won't Back Down














Marion Cotillard - Rust & Bone







I'm guessing that (which with all the guessing today?) you feel a bit confused about my Turner and Cotillard predictions, right?
Well, I'm certainly far less convinced I'm sure about these two guesses than the other three but
a) I want Turner to be nominated OK? I haven't seen the movie yet but that's beside the point.
b) Cotillard seems to be close to a nomination every year after since 2009 yet she still hasn't managed a second one and I think that her working with a director like Audiard will be helpful for her chances even if the movie is in french. Hey, she won for speaking french in a movie!
Re: Viola, I have no idea how good or baity her film will be, but really, she will probably be great and win this time. Unless they think Kathleen just can't afford to lose again.But judging by the trailer of her movie, it doesn't seem like the kind of film you win for.

Sorry for being away and sorry for coming back movie-talk-less

Where. have. I. been??

Right here, actually. It's just that movies haven't been as big a part in my life the last whatever months as it used to be. Even during the Oscar season.

I know!!

I have actually no idea why I'm posting now except that, damnit, I've missed doing this.

I have seen some movies but I don't really feel like talking about them. Not that they were uninteresting (in  good or bad ways) but just..I dunno.

In case I had never mentioned it (and I know I haven't), I'm dreaming of writing plays. You know, like Streetcar and Pillowman. Only even better. (that was clearly a joke)
So, lately I've been more interested in reading plays and novels than watching (and especially thinking about) movies.

Sue me.
No, really, I feel I betrayed a part of me.

But I have no problem if someone wants to adapt one of my (future) plays into a film. See? I'm still working for you, movie lovers!

The thing is, I haven't been writing much. I'm always thinking about this story or that theme, but the paper (or the .doc file) is still blank.

If any one can give me advice, be my guest.

For now I'm just reading stuff and, inevitably, living my life.
I hope either or both of these things will provided me with the boost I need to start creating something that I will finish and will actually feel good about it.

It would be great if you shared some of your favorite plays and/or favorite movie adaptations of plays in the comments. Especially if they're not the obvious choices.

No more pain. Goodbye.

Top girls

I decided that I just had to have them all together like this, so,  here are the women who have collected at least 5 acting Oscar nominations:

Cate Blanchett - 5 nominations

Anne Bancroft - 5 nominations

Audrey Hepburn - 5 nominations

Elizabeth Taylor - 5 nominations

Glenn Close - 5 nominations

Irene Dunne - 5 nominations

Jennifer Jones - 5 nominations

Norma Shearer - 5 nominations

Olivia de Havilland - 5 nominations

Shirley Maclaine - 5 nominations

Susan Hayward - 5 nominations

Susan Sarandon- 5 nominations

Kate Winslet - 6 nominations

Judi Dench - 6 nominations

Ellen Burstyn - 6 nominations

Deborah Kerr - 6 nominations

Jessica Lange - 6 nominations

Sissy Spacek - 6 nominations

Thelma Ritter - 6 nominations

Maggie Smith - 6 nominations

Vanessa Redgrave - 6 nominations

Jane Fonda - 7 nominations

Greer Garson - 7 nominations

Ingrid Bergman - 7 nominations

Geraldine Page - 8 nominations

Bette Davis - 10 nominations

Katharine Hepburn - 12 nominations

Meryl Streep - 16 nominations

(I know it's messy but, trust me, it was so hard to achieve even this!)

Movies again

I'm really sick and angry! Mostly because I'm sick.
Which is why I'm writing - to feel better.

I watched some movies recently and I want to share some thoughts on some of them.

Drive

Powerful, with great style, unique, yet a bit morally confused.



A Separation

Complex, honest and revealing about human nature. Hard to find a flaw.



Beauty

It makes you understand that lust can be a destructive thing if you're not lucky in regard to who inspires it in you.



The Artist

Smart, funny and moving homage to an era with some welcome specific references. But... not always interesting.



Possessed

Pretty proud of itself even if it knows some will mock it.  As you're watching it you might expect only to have a little fun (if that) but it's entirely possible to end up moved and generally impressed.



Melancholia

Pretty ambitious and eccentric (well, von Trier...duh) yet not messy. Realtionships are tested by ordinary (a wedding) and extraordinary (the possibility of the end of the planet) occasions providing very interesting and aesthetically pleasing results.



The Way We Were

Bittersweet story that feels a bit dated in its realization yet it's pragmatic enough that, with a little (or a lot of) help from Barbra's very good performance, it manages to have a soul.

Sansho the Bailiff

 So simple that you might not even notice how hard it is to make a movie that doesn't seem to have any unnecessary moments or to do anything wrong during its necessary ones, which as is obvious, comprise the whole movie. It fully earns its morally didactic nature (and not only because it's supposed to be a fairy tale), as does our tears.

  

I'm not going to review Diary of a Country Priest because I didn't watch it properly.

I am going to say that it's certainly compelling and that I intend to see it again some time. 

Letter From An Unknown Woman 

What I said about Beauty but replace "lust" with "love". Painfully wonderful.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Something about it felt unorganized and not deliberately so, yet its depiction of such a strange relationship and its powerful finale make it worth the effort. Thank you Tilda!

 

And finally, I loved Senna! I don't know if it's pefect or I was just touched by the man and his myth that much, but I think it's an amazing film. Some people can't fully connect to others because it's like they're living in their own, magical world, yet they connect all of us.

I've lost your number but I think a post will do..

It's not as glorious as it was last year but I can't do all that work every.single.time!

So, 
happy birthday Kate!!

Just that? Really?

Of course not just that! I also wish you a Tony Award.


(Picture in this post : © 2011 - Sony Pictures Classics)