Although particularly lauded by critics, I found the movie a bit stifled and unoriginal, even though it’s solidly acted and has some great car chase scenes.
Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan have great chemistry as the couple caught in a struggling romance.
The Bottom Line: While not impressive, the movie has its moments and won’t disappoint action lovers or those looking for yet another performance by the handsome Mr. Gosling.
Grade: 7
Clint Eastwood directs this adaptation of a famous novel with tenderness and warmth. Meryl Streep is at her best as a woman dissatisfied with how her life turned out and eager for something different. Her performance is so subtle and simple that it’s easy to miss its mastery.
The music by Lennie Niehaus helps setting the romantic mood and the cinematography really makes one wish he could visit Madison County and its beautiful bridges.
The Bottom Line: You can’t go wrong with a movie with Meryl Streep, add to that Eastwood’s commanding hand behind the lens and you have a must-see for all cinephiles.
Grade: 9
Here’s gay poet Richard Blanco’s beautiful poem, composed specifically for Obama's inauguration:
And the text (via Towleroad) for when the video won’t be available any longer:
One Today
One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.
My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper—
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives—
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.
All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the “I have a dream” we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won’t explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches
as mothers watch children slide into the day.
One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my father’s cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.
The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one wind—our breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the day’s gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.
Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos días
in the language my mother taught me—in every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.
One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.
One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldn’t give what you wanted.
We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country—all of us—
facing the stars
hope—a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it—together
Part of his second inaugural address to the nation:
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”
It was the first time that the word “gay” was uttered by a President in an inaugural address.
With a little bit of a delay I come to this post to officially close up another year. 2012 was a year full of stressors and releases. Ray’s mom got diagnosed with cancer again (a different one and worse, but the treatment seems to be going really well) and the Presidential election seemed to drag on forever.
Like I had mentioned a year ago, President Barack Obama’s re-election to the White House for a second term was going to be of paramount importance for my chances of permanently staying in the US. The campaign dragged on for months and the GOP’s pick, Mitt Romney, looked like the Republican’s best chance at recapturing the White House.
Fortunately, Obama stayed on message, was somehow able to match the GOP in fundraising (they likely spent around $2 billion this election cycle, which is staggering and frightening), and in the end triumphed over his opponent. His victory, which came fairly early on November 6, was a time for celebration!!
Now the Supreme Court is on the verge of taking up both DOMA and Prop 8, and it’s nice to know that we have a Commander in Chief that has our backs. We also won marriage equality in three more states (Maine, Maryland, and Washington) and defeated a constitutional amendment in Minnesota that would have banned same-sex marriage for good. It was the first time that we won at the ballot box and we didn’t just win once but four times!!
2012 was a banner year for gay rights, visibility, and acceptance also for the many celebrities that came out of the closet without much ado and 2013 is already gearing up to be a nice follow up.
2012 was probably the year I traveled the most in my life too. I took 4 vacations, 3 of which were last minute decisions. First, we went to Wildwood, New Jersey, for the July 4th holiday. It was a nice and relaxing beach vacation that I enjoyed very much. The beaches were the biggest I’ve ever seen and the boardwalk was very enjoyable at night.
Then, for Labor Day, I went to Italy for a few days to visit with my parents and see my friends again. It wasn’t as relaxing because of the jet lag, but not having kids or dogs to worry about for a few days was nice! Thankfully, my parents are both doing well, aside from the expected age related issues.
Third came the only really-planned-out vacation of the year, and how well planned was it! My friend Vittorio and I had picked a destination and purchased plane tickets around March for a vacation that would have to wait until the Thanksgiving holiday (boy, I really seem to be taking advantage of those holidays!!).
But not only had we picked a destination, Northern California, we had also already laid out our whole fifth Road Trip. All the cities we’d have visited, how long we’d have had to drive each day, and how much time we’d have spent in the final leg of the trip, San Francisco, a city I had seen before and really liked.
Needless to say, the trip was a blast. We got to see pretty much all we wanted, and can really say we “saw” that area of the country. It’s so beautiful too, with the most varied landscapes imaginable. We landed in San Francisco and headed down the coast, then turned east towards the mountains, then up to Lake Tahoe, and back west, via Sacramento and the Napa valley, to the coast again. Then we went all the way up to Mendocino and from there headed back south to San Francisco for a grand total of 1,268.5 miles!!
The last trip was organized around New Year’s Day. The family flew down to summery West Palm Beach, Florida, and from there we drove to Fort Lauderdale and then south to the Everglades. We actually stood on the southernmost beach of the (landlocked) state!! We saw alligators and took an air boat ride through the Everglades too!! From there we drove north-northwest to Captiva Island for a couple days of relax in a resort before swinging back to the east coast and flying back to freezing Connecticut. 794.1 miles in all!
While no real news affected my job, a lot happened with my photography, which started taking off when I joined several Meetup groups with which I got to travel to all sorts of locations where I could stretch my picture-taking muscles!
It has been a blast really. I got to see towns and villages I had never ever heard of before; I visited botanical gardens, cemeteries, and public parks; I saw new parts of New York City and Boston, beaches, a butterfly conservatory (!!), sunsets and sunrises, countless varieties of flowers and plants, and in the process I learned a bevy of new information on how to improve my picture taking and take it to a new level. I’ve also had a chance to photograph professional and semi-professional models, as well as regular folks, which gave me a taste for taking portraits like I had never done before.
All in all, 2012 was the richest year of my life in regards to photography and I’m looking forward to a new year of adventures and further improvements in knowledge and techniques. On the way, I’ve also met new friends who share my love for photography, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them as well.
No real news on the kids’ front, other than a marked improvement in the relationship we are building with our son Daniel. We finally seem to have gotten on the right path in dealing with his issues, and now we have to work on helping Nicole with hers, before the onslaught of puberty’s tempestuous hormones take us all for a wild ride.
Our older dog, Diablo, hit another milestone this year: she turned 16, which for a dog her size is quite remarkable. And she’s doing really well too, in spite of a tumor, weight loss, and reduced eyesight and hearing. She’s still with us and for that I’m grateful, and so is our “younger” dog Mina, who turned 12!!
Last, but not least, here’s the list of movies that I watched last year (another meager one in actual theater visits, where I went only 4 times…):
9
A Single Man
Midnight in Paris
The Artist
The Bridges of Madison County
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo8
Bridesmaids
Coal Miner's Daughter
Game Change
Hugo
Kung Fu Panda 2
Prometheus
Rango
Source Code
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Young Adult7
9
Puss in Boots
African Cats
Corpse Bride
Drive
Fright Night
Moneyball
The Ides of March
The Iron Lady6
Cowboys and Aliens
Friends with Benefits
Marvin's Room
Mirror Mirror
Tron: Legacy
Underworld
Underworld: Awakening
Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans5
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
4Green Lantern
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
The Tree of Life3
Fright Night
The Haunting2
Equilibrium
Valhalla Rising1
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
42 titles that pretty much were all over the ratings scale, except for the very elusive 10! Looking at the list, I’d pick the following 5 as my favorites:
A Single Man
Midnight in Paris
The Artist
The Bridges of Madison County
Bridesmaids
and I’d have to crown A Single Man as the best movie of 2012, with The Artist a close second. Both movies were very original, but I feel like A Single Man has a more lingering echo somehow. It’s such a heart wrenching story told with passion by a first time director who was able to create a cinematic gem.
On the other end of the scale, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat takes the crown as one of the worst examples of “movies” I’ve ever had to bear witness to. It’s so bad, I’ve effectively taken it out of the rotation of allowed kids’ movies at home.
Ok, so long 2012 and hello 2013. Let’s see what tomorrow brings us…
This year the Golden Globes actually managed to make themselves look good. The Hollywood Foreign Press, which awards the Globes, handed out deserving nominations and followed them with deserving wins. And the ceremony was good too!
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were the hostesses and they did an awesome job. They were funny and professional and never lost a beat. I also loved Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell’s skit, even though Ferrell is far from one of my favorite actors.
The most dashing actors were, in no particular order, Ben Affleck, Damian Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Jason Statham, John Krasinski, and Liev Schreiber. The most well put together actress was Julianne Moore, but I also liked Claire Danes and Anne Hathaway.
I did not like Jessica Alba, whose skin had the same orange hue of her dress, and I was bored by Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry, who both keep choosing the same dress cut and style, award show after award show. Why not try something different for once?
I was really impressed that they were able to get President Bill Clinton to introduce the clip for Lincoln too. What a coop!! Let’s see the Academy top that!
As for Jodie Foster, who was awarded the Cecil B. Demille Award during the night, I liked her speech and her half-coming out. I respect her talent as an actress and I hope she’ll get to make many more movies in the years to come. Yes, she could have come out publicly sooner in her life, but it’s such a personal choice, I really can’t blame her for it.
Following are the winners, with my occasional comment.
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Winner:
Argo
I haven’t seen any of the nominees to date, but I heard great things about Argo
Other Nominees:
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark ThirtyBest Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Les Misérables
I have like zero interest in watching this movie. All the others sound more interesting than this one, but Les Miz does seem impressive, and it’s a powerhouse of course.
Other Nominees:
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings PlaybookBest Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Winner:
Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Such a given. Day-Lewis might as well make room on his mantel for his third Oscar. Funny how when it’s a male actor who’s likely to earn his third statuette it’s not a big deal, but when it’s a female one, even if the best one out there, it’s such a tricky affair…
Other Nominees:
Richard Gere for Arbitrage
John Hawkes for The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
Denzel Washington for FlightBest Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Winner:
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty
I so adore this actress, I’m very happy for her.
Other Nominees:
Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren for Hitchcock
Naomi Watts for The Impossible
Rachel Weisz for The Deep Blue SeaBest Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables
I’m curious to see how good Cooper is in Silver Linings Playbook. I wonder if he’ll have other shots at winning a big award like this one in the future. But Jackman is such a good actor and so versatile, he definitely earned it here.
Other Nominees:
Jack Black for Bernie
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook
Ewan McGregor for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray for Hyde Park on HudsonBest Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
I like her and she’s a good actress, but her comment “I beat Meryl,” albeit said in jest, could (and should) have been avoided. This was her year because of this movie and because of the huge success of The Hunger Games. Period.
Other Nominees:
Emily Blunt for Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Maggie Smith for Quartet
Meryl Streep for Hope SpringsBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner:
Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained
Apparently this was a surprise. And can DiCaprio ever catch a break? Especially with the Academy, who didn’t even nominate him for this highly praised role, while 5 past winners (one a double winner) have been nominated in this category this year? Anyway, Waltz is definitely a handsome man.
Other Nominees:
Alan Arkin for Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio for Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master
Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner:
Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables
From the praises, a very deserved win. She’ll likely earn her first Oscar too this year, which is fine by me because this actress is very talented.
Other Nominees:
Amy Adams for The Master
Sally Field for Lincoln
Helen Hunt for The Sessions
Nicole Kidman for The PaperboyBest Director - Motion Picture
Winner:
Ben Affleck for Argo
One of the biggest upsets and surprises of the night, all the more shocking if one considers that Affleck didn’t even get a Best Director nomination from the Academy for his work. Good for him!
Other Nominees:
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino for Django UnchainedBest Screenplay - Motion Picture
Winner:
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino
Another surprise, apparently for Tarantino too. And another movie for which I have like zero interest. I’m so over Tarantino. His work just doesn’t impress me.
Other Nominees:
Argo: Chris Terrio
Lincoln: Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell
Zero Dark Thirty: Mark BoalBest Original Song - Motion Picture
Winner:
Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth ("Skyfall")
So, so, so happy for this win. Adele’s song is beautiful and I hope they ask her to perform it at the Oscars. And she better win that prize too!! She looked gorgeous and was her usual adorable self.
Other Nominees:
Act of Valor: Monty Powell, Keith Urban ("For You")
The Hunger Games: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T-Bone Burnett ("Safe and Sound")
Les Misérables: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer ("Suddenly")
Stand Up Guys: Jon Bon Jovi ("Not Running Anymore")Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Winner:
Life of Pi: Mychael Danna
Other Nominees:
Anna Karenina: Dario Marianelli
Argo: Alexandre Desplat
Cloud Atlas: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
Lincoln: John WilliamsBest Animated Film
Winner:
Brave
Other Nominees:
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It RalphBest Foreign Language Film
Winner:
Amour
Here’s one category where the Academy does it better, since they allow only one submission per country. This list has 2 movies out of 5 from France, and the winner was in French with French leads, even though the production was Austrian. That’s not really fair for all the countries in the world that would benefit from the exposure.
Other Nominees:
The Intouchables
Kon-Tiki
A Royal Affair
Rust and BoneBest Television Series - Drama
Winner:
"Homeland"
So well deserved. This show is unbelievably good, fresh, and original. Always.
Other Nominees:
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Breaking Bad"
"Downton Abbey"
"The Newsroom"Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
"Girls"
While I don’t consider myself a hardcore fan of this show, I do recognize its originality and the creator’s willingness to push the envelope. I’ll check out season two, which coincidentally premiered right around the time the show won.
Other Nominees:
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Episodes"
"Modern Family"
"Smash"Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner:
Game Change
Another well deserved win. The movie was well made and the topic hot and shocking.
Other Nominees:
The Girl
"Hatfields & McCoys"
"The Hour"
"Political Animals"Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Winner:
Damian Lewis for "Homeland"
Incredibly well deserved.
Other Nominees:
Steve Buscemi for "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad"
Jeff Daniels for "The Newsroom"
Jon Hamm for "Mad Men"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Winner:
Claire Danes for "Homeland"
Incredibly well deserved.
Other Nominees:
Connie Britton for "Nashville"
Glenn Close for "Damages"
Michelle Dockery for "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife"Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Don Cheadle for "House of Lies"
Other Nominees:
Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock"
Louis C.K. for "Louie"
Matt LeBlanc for "Episodes"
Jim Parsons for "The Big Bang Theory"Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Winner:
Lena Dunham for "Girls"
Well deserved, especially considering that she acts, directs, produces, and writes the show herself too!!
Other Nominees:
Zooey Deschanel for "New Girl"
Tina Fey for "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus for "Veep"
Amy Poehler for "Parks and Recreation"Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner:
Kevin Costner for "Hatfields & McCoys"
Other Nominees:
Benedict Cumberbatch for "Sherlock"
Woody Harrelson for Game Change
Toby Jones for The Girl
Clive Owen for Hemingway & GellhornBest Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner:
Julianne Moore for Game Change
Incredibly well deserved.
Other Nominees:
Nicole Kidman for Hemingway & Gellhorn
Jessica Lange for "American Horror Story: Asylum"
Sienna Miller for The Girl
Sigourney Weaver for "Political Animals"Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner:
Ed Harris for Game Change
Well deserved, although I would have loved to see Patinkin win for Homeland.
Other Nominees:
Max Greenfield for "New Girl"
Danny Huston for "Magic City"
Mandy Patinkin for "Homeland"
Eric Stonestreet for "Modern Family"Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Winner:
Maggie Smith for "Downton Abbey"
I mean, seriously, can there be any other? No.
Other Nominees:
Hayden Panettiere for "Nashville"
Archie Panjabi for "The Good Wife"
Sarah Paulson for Game Change
Sofía Vergara for "Modern Family"
Columnist, Radio personality, and gay activist, on Jodie Foster finally coming out at the recent Golden Globes ceremony:
"I don't care if people like Jodie Foster are bitter or annoyed at activists. It's the job of activists to challenge people and, yes, to annoy people. What I care about is that the repressive and suffocating gay closet not be seen as a good place even if it is still the only safe choice for many. The only reason that millions are still in the closet is that society forces them there under threat of punishment. But things get easier for all those millions of closeted individuals when Hollywood celebrities and media figures come out. And more and more, it appears that it's becoming their responsibility, as privileged members of society, to do so."
Had to repost this incredibly moving video from Towleroad. Hats off to this young man:
An here are the British Academy of Film and Television Awards nominations, which were announced yesterday:
Best Film
Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark ThirtyAlexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year
Anna Karenina
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Seven Psychopaths
SkyfallBest Actor
Ben Affleck for Argo
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix for The MasterBest Actress
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Mirren for Hitchcock
Emmanuelle Riva for AmourBest Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin for Argo
Javier Bardem for Skyfall
Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master
Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Christoph Waltz for Django UnchainedBest Supporting Actress
Amy Adams for The Master
Judi Dench for Skyfall
Sally Field for Lincoln
Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables
Helen Hunt for The SessionsDavid Lean Award for Achievement in Direction
Ben Affleck for Argo
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Michael Haneke for Amour
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
Quentin Tarantino for Django UnchainedBest Screenplay (Original)
Amour: Michael Haneke
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino
The Master: Paul Thomas Anderson
Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty: Mark BoalBest Screenplay (Adapted)
Argo: Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi: David Magee
Lincoln: Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. RussellBest Cinematography
Anna Karenina: Seamus McGarvey
Les Misérables: Danny Cohen
Life of Pi: Claudio Miranda
Lincoln: Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall: Roger DeakinsBest Editing
Argo: Billy Goldenberg
Django Unchained: Fred Raskin
Life of Pi: Tim Squyres
Skyfall: Stuart Baird
Zero Dark Thirty: Dylan Tichenor, Billy GoldenbergBest Production Design
Anna Karenina: Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
Les Misérables: Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi: David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
Lincoln: Rick Carter, Jim Erickson
Skyfall: Dennis Gassner, Anna PinnockBest Costume Design
Anna Karenina: Jacqueline Durran
Great Expectations: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
Les Misérables: Paco Delgado
Lincoln: Joanna Johnston
Snow White and the Huntsman: Colleen AtwoodAnthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Anna Karenina: Dario Marianelli
Argo: Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi: Mychael Danna
Lincoln: John Williams
Skyfall: Thomas NewmanBest Make Up/Hair
Anna Karenina
Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables
LincolnBest Sound
Django Unchained
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
SkyfallBest Achievement in Special Visual Effects
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
PrometheusBest Film not in the English Language
Amour
Headhunters
The Hunt
Rust and Bone
The IntouchablesBest Animated Feature Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNormanBest Documentary
The Imposter
Marley
McCullin
Searching for Sugar Man
West of MemphisEE Rising Star Award
Elizabeth Olsen
Andrea Riseborough
Suraj Sharma
Juno Temple
Alicia VikanderOutstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
I Am Nasrine: Tina Gharavi
The Imposter: Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
McCullin: David Manos Morris, Jacqui Morris
The Muppets: James Bobin
Wild Bill: Dexter Fletcher, Danny KingBest Short Animation
Here to Fall: Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I'm Fine Thanks: Eamonn O'Neill
The Making of Longbird: Will Anderson, Ainslie HendersonBest Short Film
The Curse: Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
Good Night: Muriel d'Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
Swimmer: Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
Tumult: Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
The Voorman Problem: Mark Gill, Baldwin LI
Following are the nominations for this year’s Oscars. I’m glad Les Misérables didn’t get the highest number of nominees (that honor went to Lincoln) since I have very little interest in seeing it.
I was super happy to see that Adele was nominated for Best Original Song for Skyfall and hope she wins too, and I’m glad that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey got three nominations since its technical achievements are undisputable.
Skyfall is actually the first Bond movie ever to get recognized by the Academy in several categories, so they must have done a pretty good job this time around.
So here they are:
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Amour: To Be Determined
Argo: Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Django Unchained: Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone
Les Misérables: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
Life of Pi: Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
Lincoln: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Silver Linings Playbook: Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon
Zero Dark Thirty: Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan EllisonBest Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
Denzel Washington for FlightBest Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva for Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts for The ImpossibleBest Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin for Argo
Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Master
Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Christoph Waltz for Django UnchainedBest Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Master
Sally Field for Lincoln
Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables
Helen Hunt for The Sessions
Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings PlaybookBest Achievement in Directing
Michael Haneke for Amour
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern WildBest Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Amour: Michael Haneke
Django Unchained: Quentin Tarantino
Flight: John Gatins
Moonrise Kingdom: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty: Mark BoalBest Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Argo: Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi: David Magee
Lincoln: Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. RussellBest Animated Feature Film of the Year
Brave: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Frankenweenie: Tim Burton
ParaNorman: Sam Fell, Chris Butler
The Pirates! Band of Misfits: Peter Lord
Wreck-It Ralph: Rich MooreBest Foreign Language Film of the Year
Amour: Michael Haneke(Austria)
War Witch: Kim Nguyen(Canada)
No: Pablo Larraín(Chile)
A Royal Affair: Nikolaj Arcel(Denmark)
Kon-Tiki: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg(Norway)Best Achievement in Cinematography
Anna Karenina: Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained: Robert Richardson
Life of Pi: Claudio Miranda
Lincoln: Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall: Roger DeakinsBest Achievement in Editing
Argo: William Goldenberg
Life of Pi: Tim Squyres
Lincoln: Michael Kahn
Silver Linings Playbook: Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers
Zero Dark Thirty: William Goldenberg, Dylan TichenorBest Achievement in Production Design
Anna Karenina: Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent, Simon Bright
Les Misérables: Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi: David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
Lincoln: Rick Carter, Jim EricksonBest Achievement in Costume Design
Anna Karenina: Jacqueline Durran
Les Misérables: Paco Delgado
Lincoln: Joanna Johnston
Mirror Mirror: Eiko Ishioka
Snow White and the Huntsman: Colleen AtwoodBest Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Hitchcock: Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, Martin Samuel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Peter King, Rick Findlater, Tami Lane
Les Misérables: Lisa Westcott, Julie DartnellBest Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Anna Karenina: Dario Marianelli
Argo: Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi: Mychael Danna
Lincoln: John Williams
Skyfall: Thomas NewmanBest Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Chasing Ice: J. Ralph("Before My Time")
Les Misérables: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer("Suddenly")
Life of Pi: Mychael Danna, Bombay Jayshree("Pi's Lullaby")
Skyfall: Adele, Paul Epworth("Skyfall")
Ted: Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane("Everybody Needs a Best Friend")Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Argo: John T. Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, José Antonio García
Les Misérables: Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Simon Hayes
Life of Pi: Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Drew Kunin
Lincoln: Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Ron Judkins
Skyfall: Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, Stuart WilsonBest Achievement in Sound Editing
Argo: Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn
Django Unchained: Wylie Stateman
Life of Pi: Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton
Skyfall: Per Hallberg, Karen M. Baker
Zero Dark Thirty: Paul N.J. OttossonBest Achievement in Visual Effects
The Avengers: Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, Daniel Sudick
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
Life of Pi: Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, Donald Elliott
Prometheus: Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, Martin Hill
Snow White and the Huntsman: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Phil Brennan, Neil Corbould, Michael DawsonBest Documentary, Features
5 Broken Cameras: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers: To Be Determined
How to Survive a Plague: To Be Determined
The Invisible War: To Be Determined
Searching for Sugar Man: To Be DeterminedBest Documentary, Short Subjects
Inocente: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix
Kings Point: Sari Gilman, Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine: Cynthia Wade, Robin Honan
Open Heart: Kief Davidson, Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption: Jon Alpert, Matthew O'NeillBest Short Film, Animated
Adam and Dog: Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole: PES
Head Over Heels: Timothy Reckart, Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Paperman: John Kahrs
The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare: David SilvermanBest Short Film, Live Action
Asad: Bryan Buckley, Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys: Sam French, Ariel Nasr
Curfew: Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow: Tom Van Avermaet, Ellen De Waele
Henry: Yan England
