DEMONIC - A Decent Horror Flick Without An Annoying Ending

Adequate-Watch - DEMONIC [2015, US - English]

- A police officer and a psychologist track down the cause of the deaths of a group of college students, as we witness how history repeats itself where the victims are caught in a similar fate with a previous group brutally murdered in the same house during an attempt to summon the spirits

- With the story told in two interlacing plots, the audience is treated to a double-genre approach; where the truth of the murders are revealed slowly by the investigation-interrogation (detective-like) efforts taking place after the incident, and the flashbacks of victims haunted by unknown presence during the incident (horror). This gives the 86-mins horror flick a rather intriguing appeal, suspense with a few good jump-scares

- produced by acclaimed Malaysian-born director James Wan, who gave us  notable works like Saw, The Conjuring and Insidious; Demonic is a decent attempt by newcomer Will Canon in directing. It is one of the very few horror films which has an adequate ending. A twist is there, with the knots untied in a way which does not annoy like many failed horror flicks do

Rating : C+

#jamesWan #demonic #demonicFilm #demonicFilm2015 #horror #horrorFilm #filmReviews #movie #movieReviews #willCanon #theConjuring #insidious #mariaBello #dustinMilligan #scottMichlowicz #codyHorn

OSCAR GAB - Which Films The Academy Admitted They Got It Wrong

The Hollywood Reporter polled hundreds of Academy members and asked them to recast their votes on previous Oscar races. The revamped results unearthed 5 films which they would've casted differently as the Best Picture

1977

What Did Win: Rocky

What Would Win Now: All the President’s Men

1990

What Did Win: Driving Miss Daisy

What Would Win Now: My Left Foot

Driving Miss Daisy was indeed a good film, but I'll definitely pick the film that introduced me to the amazing talents of Daniel Day-Lewis, who remains until today one of my most respected actors. The film about a man who was born with cerebral palsy and had to learn to paint and write with his left foot, was thoroughly moving, and well, we needn't say more, it's Daniel Day-Lewis

1995

What Did Win: Forrest Gump

What Would Win Now: The Shawshank Redemption

It was tough competition in 1995 as Forrest Gump was up against not just The Shawshank Redemption, but two other strong films Pulp Fiction & Four Weddings and a Funeral as well. Agreeing with the pick of Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption, which remains until today as one of the most compelling stories of perseverance and redemption. Brilliant performances by both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman

1999

What Did Win: Shakespeare in Love

What Would Win Now: Saving Private Ryan

Shakespeare in Love's win over Saving Private Ryan is widely considered to be one of the most stunning upsets in Oscar history, and I can still recall defending it amongst my friends who had more adoration for Stephen Spielberg's war drama. I personally liked the star-studded romantic comedy, with Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck & Colin Firth; the twist of witty and playful Shakespeare tale did it for me. My pick will still be Shakespeare In Love  

2006

What Did Win: Crash

What Would Win Now: Brokeback Mountain

I've always fancied films with overlapping stories and intertwining characters, and Paul Haggis made such an impressive directing debut with Crash. The ensemble cast is a treat, with Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe,  Terence Howard and Brendan Fraser. Haggis moves seamlessly across the multi-layered stories and manage to structure them so well that the characters all culminate to a simultaneous boiling point. Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain was a favorite as well that year, and the loss was considered one of the most controversial Oscar snub. Whilst I really loved the cinematography and gripping performances by Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway & Michelle Williams; I wasn't as convinced on how the main characters' relationship developed. Nevertheless, the Oscar-winning director has created nothing less of a masterpiece. My final pick - still sticking with Crash

#crash #crashMovie #brokebackMountain #DonCheadle #paulHaggis #sandraBullock #ryanPhillippe #heathLedger #jakeGyllenhaal #angLee #oscarSnub #brendanFraser #anneHathaway #michelleWilliams #shakespeareInLove #savingPrivateRyan #josephFiennes #gwynethPaltrow #geoffreyRush #judiDench #benAffleck #colinFirth #stephenSpielberg #ForrestGump #theShawshankRedemption #tomHanks #pulpFiction #fourWeddingsAndAFuneral #hughGrant #hollywoodReporter #timRobbins #morganFreeman #oscar #filmAwards #drivingMissDaisy #myLeftFoot #academyAwards #movies #films #hollywood #moovieGab #danielDayLewis #morganFreeman #jessicaTandy #oscarSnub #alfredUhry #bruceBeresford #jimSheridan #rocky #allThePresidentsMen #sylvesterStallone #robertRedford #dustinHoffman

THE LAZARUS EFFECT - Thank Goodness For Olivia Wilde

Thumbs-Down Watch - THE LAZARUS EFFECT [2015, US - English]

- With a rather familiar group of cast including Olivia Wilde (Cowboys & Aliens), Evan Peters (FX series American Horror Story) and Donald Glover (NBC series Community), The Lazarus Effect is the latest flick by Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions; which is known for low-budget horror films like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge and Quija . Directed by David Gelb, the film tells the story of a team of scientists who developed a serum that brings the dead back to life; and during their tests they discovered that their reanimated subjects are possessed by demons

- Imagine Flatliners, Pet Sematary and Frankenstein, all cooked up in a lower grade concoction; The Lazarus Effect offers nothing new. With the main scenes revolving around the basement lab and the hallway of a burning apartment building, the film suffers from cliché-riddled scare-scenes, unimaginative screenplay and questionable plots. Thank goodness for Wilde's convincing act and such a suitable cast to give that ominous presence, however plagued by the chemistry with her one-facial-expression-all-the-way co-star Mark Duplass and predictable Carrie-like stunts like telekinesis and telepathy, walking around the lab throwing people around and occasionally dilating her pupils for no reason

- "If hell, as the movie says, is the worst memory of your life on an infinite loop, I'd better clean up my act or I'll be watching The Lazarus Effect for all eternity" - Pete Vonder Haar

RATING : D

#theLazarusEffect #davidGelb #oliviaWilde #markDuplass #evanPeters #donaldGlover #jasonBlum #paranormalActivity #thePurge #sinister #flatliners #frankenstein #petSemetary #aliensAndCowboys #horror #filmReviews #movies #films #moovieGab

CHAPPIE - A Total Mess From Neil Blomkomp

Thumbs-Down watch - CHAPPIE [2015, SOUTH AFRICA, US & MEXICO - English]

- After his highly-acclaimed sci-fi District 9 in 2009, director Neill Blomkomp decides to reuse the same background of the grubby Johannesburg in his latest flick Chappie. And trust me, the ridiculous title is the least of the film's problems. Lacking sense or eager to find some exciting diversity, Blomkomp recruits notorious South African rave-rap duo Die Antwoord as the main casts (besides Dev Patel & Hugh Jackman). Apart from using their actual commercial names in the film, both Ninja & Yolandi prove to be hopeless actors & seem to be playing exaggerated versions of their troubled selves, whilst at the same manage to irritate most of the cast & crew with their antics (Ninja apparently had to be written out of several scenes just so that he didn't return to the set). Still can't digest why on earth would an actor his calibre would want to be a part of this film, taking on the antagonist role Jackman is seen with an absurd mullet, and for no reason dressing like Steve Irwin even though he is supposed to be a former soldier who designs robots. And guess what, all of these are not even my main issues with the film!

- Still continuing to send the message in his films where humans are the worst villains, Blomkomp somehow incorporates a bit of Robocop (humanoid droids taking over the police force), and some of AI Artificial Intelligence (sentient robot who longs to be human), and wait there's more, a bit of ET (Chappie too starts to develop affection for his newfound "family" & has limited time with them) and why not, some Transformers (huge explosive scenes with hard-thumping scores). The result, a film working on a messy narrative with countless WTF moments

- And lastly, which I felt the film is really testing the audience's patience, is the inconsistent switching of Chappie the robot's emotional precociousness. While capable of downloading the entire internet into his brain in a matter of seconds, Chappie somehow still believes his "parents" when they tell him that when you stab or shoot someone, it just makes them go to sleep. As he puts on gold necklaces and profess more gangsta-attitude by saying things like "Chappie gonna kill y'all motherfuckas", we will also see him going all toddler with his whining of "Chappie scared! Chappie want mommy!" Seriously, I can't blame the audience laughing with ridicule when I was watching in the cinema, and how some critics are saying that at some point, you find yourself wanting everyone in the film dead

Rating : D-

#chappie #neillBlomkomp #hughJackman #devPatel #robots #dieArtwoord #filmReviews #sciFi #movies #sigourneyWeaver #district9

UNBROKEN - A Moving Tale Of Endurance

Worthy-Watch - UNBROKEN [2014, US - English]

- "If you can take it, you can make it" was the advice from his older brother which Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini carried with him in this epic drama, thriving against all odds from the 1936 Olympics as a middle-distance runner, to World War II as a bombardier, through 47 days stranded at sea in a raft, then finally two years tortured by the Japanese Navy in a prisoner-of-war camp

- Perhaps it would be a better choice to adapt the highly acclaimed 2010 book by Laura Hillenbrand "Unbroken, A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption" into a mini-series. Ambitious yes, to capture such breadth of events that carry the message of human survival and endeavor into a slightly above 2-hour film seems like a bad idea to me; but I have to say director Angelina Jolie gave a creditable attempt. So much to express about this uplifting tale that she had to direct it in broad brushstrokes, intertwining between chunks and flashbacks built around the major experiences in Louie's life - spanning wide from his mildly wayward boyhood right to the end of the war. As a result, the film had to focus so much on its events that it forgets to give us much in the way of characters. We keep seeing Louie as the super human whose mind, body and spirits remain unbreakable in a series of perdition & purgatory, but we do not get to go beyond that in understanding what really drives him & keeps him going. Though English actor Jack O'Connell gives a commendable performance as Louie, his role is left painted as this glossy persevering hero, but without much dimension as a person; and we never really feel privy to his inner life. Nevertheless, the teen-series Skins (2009-2010) & Starred Up (2013) star's intense, committed, physical performance remain praiseworthy

- What's noteworthy as well was Jolie's commitment towards her actors that she didn’t eat much on set to support their gruelling diets where they had to shed a lot of weights to give the appearance of starvation and the harsh conditions of captivity at the Japanese war camps

RATING : B-

#unbroken #angelinaJolie #jackOconnell #louisZamperini #warMovies #warFilms #drama

CELEB QUOTES - Neil Patrick Harris

"I don't know that my family nor my soul could take it. It's a beast. It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don't know that it's a delightful balance to do every year or even again. I didn't keep up with it obsessively, but it was interesting to see just what people thought landed and didn't - It's so difficult for one who's simply watching the show to realize just how much time and concession and compromise and explanation has gone into almost every single thing. Every joke. Wording of joke. Placement of joke. Canceling of joke. Embellishment for just one line"

- Neil Patrick Harris, on his hosting of the 2015 Oscars, and the negative reviews received on his hosting stint. NPH has hosted the Emmys, Tonys & Oscars, and is just one awards show away (GRAMMYs) from being an EGOT host. I personally didn't mind his hosting at all, he was rather entertaining. What are your thoughts?

#neilPatrickHarris #oscars #2015oscars #emmys #tonys #academyAwards #emmyAwards #tonyAwards #grammys #grammyAwards #filmAwards #hosting #movies #moovieGab

NEWSGAB - Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is slated to portray Billy Milligan in the upcoming film “The Crowded Room.” Milligan was the first person to successfully use multiple personality disorder as a defense in a court of law. Milligan was said to have as many as 24 personalities and was charged with robbery and raping three women in the late 1970s. 

His various personalities included Adalana, a lesbian taking responsibility for the rapes; Ragen, a Yugoslavian communist who admitted to the robbery; and Arthur, an uptight Englishman. Hollywood has long wanted to bring Milligan’s story to the big screen. High-profile directors who previously circled the project include James Cameron. DiCaprio has been eyeing the role as far back as 1997; and now he's not just acting but serving  as a producer. Other actors who have previously courted for the role of Milligan included Matthew McConaughey, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and John Cusack

#leonardoDiCaprio #billyMilligan #matthewMcConaughey, #johnnyDepp #bradPitt #seanPenn #johnCusack #jamesCameron #films #movies #moovieGab #upcomingFilms #movieNews #theCrowdedRoom #multiplePersonality

OSCAR GAB - 5 Best Oscar Moments

THE IMITATION GAME WINNING BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

It's my best pick amongst the eight nominations for Best Picture this year and despite having predicted that it will almost definitely not beat majority favorites Birdman & Boyhood (plus the sad fact that leading man Benedict Cumberbatch did not win Best Actor as well), the film's taking of their one and only award for the night makes it rather special & touching for me. Screenwriter Graham Moore accepted the award and gave an emotional speech including opening up about his attempted suicide at the age of sixteen, and encouraging the rest to embrace being different, earning a standing ovation:-

"Stay weird, stay different and when it's your turn, and you are standing on this stage, please pass the message on to the next person who comes along"

JOHN LEGEND & COMMON'S PERFORMANCE FOR "GLORY" 

What a moving performance. Have always loved Legend's vocals, and with the two performing the song which won Best Original Song (from Selma) in front of a backdrop of Alabama’s Edmund Pettus Bridge (as depicted in the film where hundreds walked across in 1965 for the right to vote), and later joined by a massive plain-clothed choir, the performance brought the audience to their feet and tears to the eyes, including Selma's leading man David Oyelowo and Into The Woods' star Chris Pine. Upon accepting their Oscars, Common explained that the bridge “was once a landmark of a divided nation, but now it’s a symbol for change.” Legend added that “Selma is now, because the struggle for justice is right now.” Uplifting.

JULIANNE MOORE WINNING BEST ACTRESS

Her win was highly predicted, but it certainly meant a great deal to the 54 year-old actress; who has been nominated four other times but won none previously. This is Moore's first ever Oscar, having already received myriads including two Golden Globes, a BAFTA, two SAG awards. She is also the fourth person in history to have ever won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival & Venice Film Festival. It is definitely her turn at the Oscars, with a much deserve and a poignant performance in Still Alice. To add to that, her acceptance speech was my favorite amongst all the winners. She was genuine, candid & poured her gratitude in much candour & grace. Congrats!

IDINA MENZEL GETTING BACK AT JOHN TRAVOLTA

It's Dazeem versus GAZINGO!! Remember that WTF moment during the Oscars last year when John Travolta introduced Idina Menzel as "the wicked-ly talented, the one and only, Adele Dazeem". The Dazeem joke went viral, and this year she finally got her chance to get even. First, host Neil Patrick Harris poked fun about how Benedict Cumberbatch's name is "the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck". Silly, but I thought it was hilarious. Even Cumberbatch couldn't help bursting into his blushing chuckle. Then Menzel came on stage to present the next award and said "Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome to the stage my very dear friend Glom Gazingo," and that was Travolta's cue to come on stage. Both hugged, and he said "I deserve that!"

BOYHOOD WINNING ONLY ONE AWARD

OK, I'm going to get heaps of hate for this. But honestly, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is to me the most overrated film in 2014. True, much respect is given for his ability to direct and keep the momentum for the story which spawned over the course of twelve years; but I failed to see anything more than several segments of rather ordinary plots over everyday family meals, road trips & birthday parties, seamed together with the same cast growing together. And that was it, nothing more. Though highly undeserving to me, Patricia Arquette's win for Best Supporting Actress was already engraved on the trophy from the beginning.  So, Birdman's triumph in Best Film and Best Original Screenplay over Boyhood was in fact a great outcome for the night. Again, apologizing in advance for all the millions of fans of Boyhood, but hey it's just my take

#oscars #oscars2015 #oscarFilms #birdman #alejandroGonzalezInarritu #richardLinklater #boyhood #patriciaArquette #moovieGab #idizaMenzel #johnTravolta #julianneMoore #stillAlice #bestActress #neilPatrickHarris #SAG #BAFTA #benedictCumberbatch #richardLinklater #grahamMoore #johnLegend #common #selma #selmaFilm #davidOyelowo #chrisPine #intoTheWoods

OSCAR MOMENTS - Alejandro González Iñárritu & Birdman

“The ones who live in Mexico, I pray that we can find and build the government that we deserve. The ones that live in this country, who are just part of the latest generation of immigrants in this county, I just pray they can be treated with the same dignity and respect as the ones who came before and built this incredible immigrant nation"

- Alejandro González Iñárritu, accepting his Oscars for Best Director for Birdman. Beating his toughest competition Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Iñárritu became the second consecutive Mexican director to win the best director Oscar. Last year, Alfonso Cuaron won for Gravity. Both Iñárritu & Linklater have gone head to head this awards season for their films in both the Best Director, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay categories where Linklater won for his directing at Golden Globes, BAFTA & Critics' Choice Award, whilst Iñárritu took home the top prize at the Directors Guild Awards apart from tonight's win at the Academy Awards 

#alejandroGonzalezInarritu #inarritu #oscars #oscars2015 #bestDirector #filmAwards #director #directing #birdman #richardLinklater #boyhood #SAG #criticsChoiceAwards #goldenGlobes #BAFTA

OSCAR MOMENTS - Graham Moore & The Imitation Game

"Alan Turing never got to stand on a stage like this and look out at all of these disconcertingly attractive faces, and I do, and that’s the most unfair thing, I think, I’ve ever heard. So in this brief time here, what I want to use it to do is to say this - when I was sixteen years old I tried to kill myself because I felt weird, and I felt different, and I felt that I did not belong. And now I’m standing here, and I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do, I promise you do - Stay different, and then when it’s your turn, and you’re standing on this stage, please pass the message to the next person that comes along"

- Graham Moore, receiving his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, beating contenders American Sniper, The Theory Of Everything, Whiplash & Inherent Vice

#grahamMoore #oscars #oscars2015 #filmAwards #bestAdaptedScreenplay #adaptedScreenplay #theImitationGame #drama #americanSniper #theTheoryOfEverything #whiplash #inherentVice

OSCAR MOMENTS - Patricia Arquette

"To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights, it’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America"

- Patricia Arquette, calling for gender equality during her rousing acceptance speech for her very first Oscars. it may be her first Oscar nomination & win, but her performance in Boyhood has garnered more than over 30 other accolades, including Golden Globes, SAG, BAFTA & Critics' Choice Awards

#patriciaArquette #oscars #oscars2015 #bestActress #boyhood #filmAwards #moovieGab #actress #genderEquality #goldenGlobes #SAG #BAFTA #criticsChoiceAwards

OSCAR MOMENTS - J. K. Simmons

"Wow, thank you. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you to everyone involved in the making of Whiplash. And I am grateful everyday for the most remarkable person I know - my wife, the wonderful Michelle Schumacher. I’m grateful for your love, your kindness, your wisdom, your sacrifice and your patience. Which brings me to the above-average children - even though I may try their patience more. Joe and Olivia, you are extraordinary human beings. Smart, funny, kind, loving people and that’s because you are a reflection of your mother. And if I may, call your mom, everybody. I’ve told this [to], like, a billion people, or so. Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you, Mom and Dad"

- J. K. Simmons, accepting his first Oscars for Whiplash. his riveting performance has won him more than 30 other accolades,  including the Golden Globes, SAG, BAFTA & Critics' Choice Awards

#JKsimmons #oscars #oscars2015 #bestSupportingActor #whiplash #actor #filmAwards #goldenGlobes #SAG #BAFTA #criticsChoiceAwards #michelleSchumacher #moovieGab

OSCAR MOMENTS - Julianne Moore

“Thank you so much. I read an article that said that winning an Oscar could lead to living five years longer. If that’s true, I’d really like to thank the Academy because my husband is younger than me! There is no such thing as best actress as is evidenced by the performances of fellow nominees. I’ve been honored to be among you every step of the way. I’m so happy. I’m thrilled actually -- that we were able to hopefully shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease. So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalized, and one of the wonderful things about movies is it makes us feel seen and not alone. And people with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen, so we can find a cure”

- Julianne Moore, receiving her first Oscar on her fifth nomination for her performance in Still Alice. Moore has also bagged the Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA & Critics' Choice Awards

#julianneMoore #oscars #oscars2015 #bestActress #stillAlice #actress #filmAwards #moovieGab #SAG #BAFTA #goldenGlobes #criticsChoiceAwards

OSCAR MOMENTS - Eddie Redmayne

"Thank you. Thank you. I don’t think I’m capable of articulating quite how I feel right now. I’m fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man. This Oscar belongs to all of those people around the world battling ALS. It belongs to one exceptional family – Stephen, Jane and the Hawking children. I will be his custodian. I will be at his beck and call. I wait on him hand and foot. Thank you to Hannah, my wife. I love you – we have a new fella coming to share our apartment"

- Eddie Redmayne, receiving his first Oscar for his performance in The Theory Of Everything. His critical acclaimed portrayal of Stephen Hawking has also won him the Golden Globe, SAG & BAFTA awards

#eddieRedmayne #oscars #oscars2015 #bestActor #theTheoryOfEverything #filmAwards #moovieGab #SAG #BAFTA #goldenGlobes #stephenHawking #ALS

OSCAR GAB - Actress In A Leading Role

it was an almost unanimous prediction amongst the critics that 5-time nominee julianne moore would nab the oscar for best actress this year, and she did. the strength in her performance in "still alice" had garnered much praise & her chances for winning her first ever academy award was as good as how cate blanchett swept all the major film awards including an oscar last year for "blue jasmine". with this win, moore has in fact joined blanchett in the league of acclaimed actors to be recognized for their excellence in acting, having won the five awards generally considered to be the most important annual awards given for the big screen; namely the oscars, BAFTA, golden globes, SAG and critics' choice award. and why not, i fully agreed with moore taking the award this year. her devastatingly mesmerizing portrayal as a 50-year old linguistics professor diagnosed with inheritable early-onset alzheimer's is to me her career-high performance. it takes away the need for every drama about illness to be staggeringly high in fluctuating emotions, her pain delivered through the her subtleties is equally if not more heartbreaking. the film in fact anchors heavily on moore's performance, and her diminishing journey into alzheirmer's is thoroughly moving. she was my best bet for the actress in a leading role category, kudos!

i can't comment on marion cotillard 's performance as i've not watched "two days, one night". as for reese witherspoon, i think i've said enough about how i feel of her as an actress in my previous post on her nominated role in "wild". suffice to say, it is to me overrated, sad to say that she is one of the actors who the academy seem to have a soft spot for, and her slightly above average performance is definitely not oscar-worthy. the spot could have been given to more deserving performances like essie davis ("the babadook") or julianne moore ("map to the stars").

labelled as UK's fastest-rising screen actress since kate winslet, thanks to her convincing portrayal of jane hawking in "the theory of everything", 31-year old felicity jones received her first ever oscar nomination. in fact, the "sudden stardom" has even irked the english actress that she was recently labelled as a new actress despite having started acting since twenty years ago. i was rather impressed with her performance, having both the appearance and ability to portray jane hawking convincingly as a teenager and then transforming into a wife to stephen hawking. jones tackles jane’s resilient yet soft nature with grit, delivering truly poignant scenes with eddie redmayne. 

the most interesting and hair-raising performance came from rosamund pike. with david fincher's "gone girl" it was her much bigger break; having started off debuting at the lowest ebb bond-dom in "die another day" and had since then not been given much opportunities, resorting to lower-ends of acting roles in "wrath of the titans" and "jack reacher". her gut-wrenching portrayal as amy dunne in the hitchcockian-thriller is nailed with total gusto. both pike and film are dark, sleek and sexy. 

shouldn't win - reese witherspoon

should win - julianne moore

predicted will win - julianne moore

won - julianne moore

snubbed from nomination - essie davis for "the babadook"

#oscar #bestActress #julianneMoore #felicityJones #reeseWitherspoon #rosamundPike #marionCotillard #wild #goneGirl #stillAlice #theTheoryOfEverything #twoDaysOneNight #filmAwards

OSCAR GAB - Actor In A Leading Role

with julienne moore, JK Simmons & patricia arquette's names more or less engraved on the other 3 trophies before the award seasons started, this year's oscar suspense for the acting categories was basically left depending on the race for best actor.

first off, my take on the lesser-deserving nominations - steve carell & bradley cooper. much of the amusement rilled up about carell's performance in "foxcatcher" to me lies more so on his prosthetic nose, make up & obscured facial expressions which give him a subdued, mysterious & peculiar persona. oscar unfortunately has a weakness for "major transformational" roles in the past, whether every nod was fully worthy remained questionable to me. cooper on the other hand had the opportunity to portray the riveting & distressed chris kyle, the deadliest sniper in US history. there was however nothing particularly strong about his performance. he beefed up (putting on 40 pounds) for the role, still playing a rather ego-heavy &  masculine character which is kind of consistent in many of his previous works, mumbled his way throughout in a thick texan accent. was his acting gripping? it was adequate, but definitely not stunning enough to be oscar-worthy. having said that, i'm probably the only one not raving about cooper in clint eastwood's "american sniper", and we all know he has been one of the academy's favorites in recent years. 

next, who did i predict as the higher probable winner - michael keaton or eddie redmayne. keaton would've probably won every audience's vote for the most entertaining role, having to infuse anger, desperation, bitterness, melancholy, comedy & insanity all in a single story in "birdman". he's been long loved for his roles in "night shift" (1982), beetlejuice (1988) & "batman" (1989 & 1992); "birdman" was hailed as his comeback role, it's his 1st oscar nomination & probably the last chance to win one for this hexagenerian.

latest brit invasion in hollywood, redmayne earned raves for pulling off one of the most challenging & bravest roles in “the theory of everything”. it may be his 1st leading role but for his portrayal as renowned physicist stephen hawking, the 33 year-old committed 4 months to prepare himself, reconfiguring his body with a choreographer’s help to capture hawking at each specific stage of his decades-long battle with ALS. bearing in mind, at least half the time in the film redmayne was subjected to limited means of expression and movement, being wheelchair bound & speaking through a computerized voice, and yet he manages to transmit hawking’s struggle, drive, joy & wit in precision. from the twitching & muscle decay, the awkward walk to the tilting neck, redmayne nailed the part. watching the film, hawking in fact had been reported saying that there were moments when he thought it was himself he was seeing on screen.

coming to the last nominee, and my choice for the win – benedict cumberbatch. everything about the film “the imitation game” dices in both ways, and that is precisely what i love about it. the tale of the mathematician alan turing who broke the german enigma code during world war II is both aching yet inspiring. the same goes with cumberbatch’s portrayal of the genius, imbuing turing in a nuanced but gripping performance. his character is unattuned to the feelings of others, but manages to win our sympathy as he can also be endearing. he will come across as arrogant & egoistic, yet we will be shedding tears for this awkward wiz when he gets prosecuted for his sexuality. all these are achieved only with cumberbatch’s enthralling performance 

shouldn't win - steve carell & bradley cooper

should win - benedict cumberbatch 

predicted will win - michael keaton or eddie redmayne 

won - eddie redmayne 

snubbed from nomination - jake gyllenhaal for "nightcrawler"

#oscar #bestActor #eddieRedmayne #steveCarell #bradleyCooper #michaelKeaton #benedictCumberbatch #theTheoryOfEverything #theImitationGame #foxcatcher #americanSniper #birdman #jakeGyllenhaal #nightcrawler

JUPITER ASCENDING - WACHOWSKI'S DESCEND CONTINUES

thumbsDown-watch - JUPITER ASCENDING [2015, US & AUSTRALIA - English]

with the endless string of reviews going down on "jupiter ascending" as one of the worst films by the wachowski siblings, guess it's rather pointless for me to add another. so let me list my best & worst of the gargantuan sci-fi which may extend the directing duo’s cinema slump since “V for vendetta” and the final “matrix” installments 

THE BEST

the film is lavish in visual effects & certainly a visual charm with several  delectable scenes. the wachowskis decided to anchor their effects more so on practical stunts instead of the usual easy way out with CGI. leading man channing tatum shares that there were minimal use of digital doubles and most stunts were done by stuntsmen or himself 

THE WORST

while it is easy on the eyes, don’t expect much from the dialogues. the ambition was on a large scale, with gigantic philosophies & mass-appeal sci-fi, however plagued with dry & dense scripts

caine wise (tatum): "your majesty, i have more in common with a dog than i have with you"

jupiter Jones (kunis): "i love dogs, i've always loved dogs"

i rest my case

THE BEST

with costume designer kym barrett we can expect nothing lesser than what we've seen in her previous works including wachowskis' "matrix" series, "eragon", "three kings" & "cloud atlas". barrett has also designed costumes for the visually delicious "cirque du soleil"

THE WORST

mila kunis & channing tatum's chemistry is as bland as barney's facial expressions. what makes it worse is that one of the underlying themes for this film is the romance brewing between these two actors with zero sparks. the lacking commitment in both their acting is no help at all, as you may occasionally think u're watching the street-suave tatum in "step up" & the hard-headed kunis in "that 70's show". seriously unconvincing. while eddie redmayne's 'big' acting may be unfairly taunted as "norbiting" his chances away from the otherwise hopeful triumph at the upcoming oscars like the case of eddie murphy 7 years ago, at least he is putting in much more effort & commitment in his character

Rating: D+

#jupiterAscending #filmReview #channingTatum #milaKunis #eddieRedmayne #sciFi #wachowski

celebsGab - BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

the 38-year-old oscar nominee recently penned an an open letter petitioning the UK government to give a pardon to some 49,000 homosexuals who were treated prosecuted for being gay by the british government several decades ago. in 2009, the british government gave alan turing an “unequivocal apology” for his mistreatment (benedict portrays alan in "the imitation game"). unfortunately, according to the telegraph, prince william and kate middleton have rejected benedict‘s plea for his gay rights campaign in the UK and a spokesperson said since it is a matter for the government that they could not comment

- source: justJared.com

#benedictCumberbatch #TheImitationGame #alanTuring #celebs #celebNews #celebGossips #gays #gayRights #princeWilliam #kateMiddleton

WILD - Huge Message, Film Falls Rather Flat

adequate-watch - WILD [2014, US - English]

- let me start by reiterating one of my overused mantras, i've never understood the accolades lauded by critics over reese witherspoon, nor can i ever see her standing in the same league of credible names like nicole kidman, cate blanchett, meryl streep or jessica chastain (yet chastain has never won an oscar while witherspoon "sang" her way to a clean sweep for best actress in all major film awards in 2005 for "walk the line"). my mantra stays after watching wild

- portraying cheryl strayed who decides to embark on a 1,100-mile hike on the pacific crest trail to regain control of her life after the dissolution of her marriage, premature death of her mother whilst dealing with sex and drug addiction, witherspoon did nothing to convince us of the complicated & conflicting sides of the character who is both aggrieved yet strong. we are somehow treated to a string of rather bland episodes of her walking & carrying a really heavy backpack, panting, grunting, and occasionally experiencing flashbacks of her past and moments shared with her mother (laura dern, who also to me earned another less-worthy oscar nomination for supporting actress)

- the film remains rather "flat" throughout, offering no highlights of how the lead character experiences perhaps some awakening moments which lead her to the turning point of her ailing life. the message was huge, wow, a woman hiking over a thousand miles all alone to seek salvation, yet the film wasn't uplifting enough. i for one could not relate to such a level after watching

- i am going hard on my review bearing in mind that this is a film praised as witherspoon's "come back", garnering oscar nominations for best film, best actress & best supporting actress categories 

RATING : C-

#wild #wildMovie #reeseWitherspoon #films #filmReview #movie #movieReview #drama #cherylStrayed

CELEB QUOTE - Eddie Redmayne

"there were so many levels of anxiety - you're playing someone that people know, he's also an icon, he's also living, he's a scientist of extraordinary talent..i'm not really a method actor, and i'm normally quite good at jumping into next things, but also it had been a weird year. when i did 'jupiter ascending', the film before this, i'd had to get all buff, and then the second that finished i had to start losing weight for 'the theory of everything'. it's a weird thing, but you sort of begin to lose track of who you are"

- eddie redmayne, on his portrayal of stephen hawking in "the theory of everything"

#eddieRedmayne #celebQuotes #celebs #theTheoryOfEverything #stephenHawking #jupiterAscending #oscars #movies #drama

AMERICAN SNIPER - JUST ANOTHER ADEQUATE WAR MOVIE

adequate-watch - AMERICAN SNIPER [2014], US - English]

- depicting the real-life story of US navy SEAL sniper chris kyle, clint eastwood's american sniper has become the country's highest-grossing war movie ever

- gaining 40 pounds for the role, bradley cooper gave a credible performance which has earned him his 3rd consecutive oscar nomination (in acting). did his portrayal of kyle make us feel for his growing detachment & disorientation, yes. was it an oscar-worthy performance, not to me

- whilst it manages to take audience into the deteriorating journey of veterans during & post war, american sniper doesn't do anything that other war films haven't already done much better. we've seen far more compelling war-themed films like 'the hurt locker' [2009] and eastwood's own 'letters from iwo jima' [2006]

RATING : C+

#americanSniper #americanSniperMovie #movie #movieReview #warFilms #biopic #chrisKyle #veterans #oscarFilms #clintEastwood #bradleyCooper #siennaMiller

CELEB QUOTES - Amy Adams

"when i read the script, i saw her as more of a victim, as one-dimensional...that’s my fault and not the fault of the script or the writing. it was just where i was in my life. i was looking to play someone who i felt was more confident, more grounded - when i came back around, i saw margaret as a completely different entity – as a mother. i was able to identify with her as a woman in a way that i wasn’t before. [margaret lived] in a time when we didn’t speak out publicly against 'our man'. and then i played a character in 'the master', another really powerful woman from the era, who stood behind a man and didn’t come forward. after that, i felt i understood the era and the beginnings of feminism, so i saw margaret from a very different perspective"

- amy adams, on how she nearly said no to the role of margaret keane in tim burton's film, big eyes

#bigEyes #bigEyesMovie #celebs #celebQuotes #amyAdams #timBurton #margaretKeane #waif

BIG EYES - The Untold Story Of Margaret Keane

worthy-watch - BIG EYES [2014, US - English]

- tim burton brings the much untold story of artist margaret keane (famous for her paintings of big-eyed children in the 50s - 60s) and her deteriorating and tumultuous relationship with walter keane in an intimate biopic

- amy adams gives a consistent & effective performance portraying margaret, winning her a well-deserved golden globe award for best actress (comedy or musical category)

- my slight issue with the film was its incoherent switching between genres,  moving from a heartwarming romantic comedy, to a serious drama, and even at one point becoming a poorly-made suspense thriller (when walter tried to burn his wife & daughter alive). several over-amplified parts of the film like the exaggerated court scene & walter trying to stab an art critic with a fork were to me rather unnecessary

- christoph waltz's intense portrayal of walter keane played a crucial role in driving the varied & inconsistent genres throughout the film, though at no fault of his (waltz remains a great actor), perhaps to meet burton's quest to always challenge the norm and to make unconventional films

RATING : B-

#bigEyes #bigEyesMovie #movie #movieReview #filmReview #timBurton #amyAdams #christophWaltz #goldenGlobes #margaretKeane #walterKeane #keane #art #paintings #waif #drama #romance #comedy

BLACKHAT - Felt Like An Action-Thriller From The 90s

thumbsDown-watch - BLACKHAT [2015, US - English]

- dull-paced, terribly. minus half of the audience who are female-gawking fans of hemsworth, no one really cares where the story is going after some point

- lukewarm performance by lee hom and you'd wonder why tang wei was even cast in the first place

- felt like i was watching an action-thriller from the 90s, awfully old-fashion. a hacker-thriller which goes on and on without offering any climax, twists or great ending. to makes things worse, it gives us the most cliche romance brewing between the characters amidst their running about 

RATING : D

#blackhat #blackhatMovie #blackhatFilm #movie #movieReview #films #filmReview #actionMovies #chrisHemsworth #leeHomWang #leeHom

CELEB QUOTE - David Oyelowo

"i think it's ridiculous - when you look at what he was actually saying it's clear that he's a huge supporter of black performers...to attack him for a term, as opposed to what he was actually saying, i think is very disingenuous and is indicative of the age we live in where people are looking for sound bites as opposed to substance"

- david oyelowo, defending benedict cumberbatch, for using the term "coloured" during an interview

#celebQuotes #celebs #davidOyelowo #benedictCumberbatch #blackActors #racism

WHIPLASH - So Riveting It's Delicious

thumbsUp-watch - WHIPLASH [2014, US - English]

- bold, shatters the conventional cliches of mentor-protégé films, gets you rooting for both the main characters at different parts of the story

- it's as riveting as any musical dramas can ever get, intense throughout. it's so punitive it's beautiful

- now i see why J.K Simmons is sweeping all the awards for the supporting role category 

RATING : A-

#JKsimmons #milesTeller #whiplash #whiplashMovie #movie #movieReview #films #filmReview #drama #jazz #musical

SELMA - David Oyelowo's Career-High Performance

worthy-watch > SELMA [2014, US - English]

- a film as history unfolds, audience gets a peek not just into the life of an icon, but more importantly the man that martin luther king jr was

- stories on racialism always get me, an absorbing film with commanding performance from david oyelowo

"in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our fiends"
- rev dr martin luther king jr

RATING : B+

#selma #selmaFilm #movie #movieReview #films #filmReview #davidOyelowo #biopic #martinLutherKingJr #martinLutherKing #activist #racism #history

THE IMITATION GAME - MY Favorite Oscar-Nominated Film For 2015

thumbsUp-watch > THE IMITATION GAME [2014, US - English]

- astounding for both its marvel & misery

- cumberbatch dominated the entire movie, my bet for best actor category

- the zeal in both alan turing & the film's message to redeem a wrongly dishonored man - enthralling

"the general public became familiar with the name alan turing after learning of his indecency conviction and suicide. it would be years before they learned that he was also largely responsible for outsmarting the nazis"

RATING : A+

#TheImitationGame #movie #movieReview #films#filmReview #drama #biopic #alanTuring#benedictCumberbatch