Category Archives: Personality

My 2014 Oscar Final Predictions – My Winners And Spoilers!!

Oscar Trophy - Specials

With the awards season for the films of 2013 culminating on Sunday as the 86th Academy Awards present the Oscar to their respective winners, I’m also coming up (as per usual) with my final predictions for this year’s Oscars.

Best Picture

As much as I’m hoping that Gravity will win this category, I’m still leaning  towards a 12 Years A Slave win not only because it’s winning every precursor award giving bodies prior to the big night but because it’s a total Oscar bait like what I’ve always mentioned. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the film and I feel that it was a well made one but if I were to give it to THE best film of 2013 – Gravity should win this one hands down.

SPOILER: GRAVITY

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron created a masterpiece with Gravity. Rarely that a director create something that is as powerful as this one. Steve McQueen can win the Best Picture but Cuaron has got this in the bag already.

SPOILER: STEVE MCQUEEN (NOT MUCH THOUGH)

BEST ACTORFrom my review, McConaughey’s rendition in Dallas Buyers Club as the homophobic Texan who became the unlikely hero of the gay community was flawless – it’s like the male Sophieluminescent, one of a kind and truly singular. He’s untouchable here as much as I’d love for Leo to finally get an Oscar.

SPOILER: LEONARDO DICAPRIO

BEST ACTRESSAfter winning a statuette for her supporting role in Aviator, Cate is ready to finally claim what’s rightfully her to begin with (hhmm,  paging Gwyneth.) Her performance in Blue Jasmine was said to be the best of her career and I have to believe that for she won almost all the major award giving bodies for her work in the film. Yay!

SPOILER: SANDRA BULLOCK FOR GRAVITY.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club 

Leto’s best work to date as Rayon is a groundbreaking performance that only deserves accolades like this one. In this film, Jared Leto proved that he’s special!

spoiler: Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave

I’ve only high praises for Jennifer Lawrence but I find Lupita’s performance more memorable and for that alone, I’m giving her this one. Plus, I don’t think the Academy’s ready to give her an Oscar with her winning just last year.

SPOILER: Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle.

Best Original Screenplay – Her

Best Adapted Screenplay – 12 Years A Slave

Best Animated Feature – Frozen

Best Foreign Language Film – The Great Beauty (Italy)

Best Documentary – 20 Feet from Stardom

Best Film Editing – Gravity

Best Original Score – Gravity

Best Original Song – Let It Go

Best Cinematography – Gravity

Best Visual Effects – Gravity

Best Sound Editing – Gravity

Best Sound Mixing – Gravity

Best Production Design – The Great Gatsby

Best Makeup and Hairstyling -American Hustle

Best Costume Design – The Great Gatsby by Catherine Martin

Best Documentary – Short Subject – Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

Best Live Action Short Film – Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) – Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras

Best Animated Short Film – Get a Horse!

*I submitted this prediction to the 4th Pinoyexchange Oscar Pool (my fourth year of joining! during the first year, I placed 8th, unplaced on the second year and came in at 10th place last year)

for 50 bonus points, after predicting the winners for all 24 categories, the participant has the option to pick ONE PEx Oscar Prediction (listed below) which s/he will think will happen.

PEx Oscar Predictions:

  1. Leonardo DiCaprio will finally win his first Oscar
  2. “Let it Go” will not win Best Original Song
  3. There will be a tie in at least one category
  4. The Best Film Editing winner will not win Best Picture
  5. The Best Director winner will come from the Best Picture winner

Review: The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Oscar Trophy - Specials

Based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir, The Wolf Of Wall Street adequately narrates Belfort’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) conquest in New York making it big in Wall Street at any cost. Adapted by Terence Winter who created  HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and have written in the award winning The Sopranos, Director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio partnered once again as they introduced as to Belfort’s world encompassing his rich and lavish lifestyle that includes drugs, sex and anything that money can buy.

When I “personally” pointed out that Jennifer Lawrence was seemingly the heir apparent to Meryl Streep, I immediately thought of his male counterpart and I easily thought of Leo. He’s perfection for the role and his subtle charm and overflowing charisma easily translates into the screen. Truly Leonardo DiCaprio is one of a kind. Some critics said that he’s sometimes too rehearsed or too exaggerated but I beg to disagree, dear Sir and Ma’am. I thought he’s acting style is singular because he knows how to commit into a character. Jonah Hill (who played Donnie, Belfort’s neighbor) was such a delight as he explode here with his comedic timing like no other actor could do. A one of a kind performance as well that nagged him several acclaims since its run. Margot Robbie whom I thought looked ravishing was equally amazing as Naomi Belfort – she’s just so fun to watch!

I’ve to say though, that what truly stands out in this film aside from the three actors that I mentioned above was the perfect use of scoring and cinematography. Both enamored me into feeling that this truly was the 90’s.  The 90’s was my growing up years and it felt fluid and too reminiscent all throughout the film. That is what I call good direction.

This is yet another Scorsese’s masterpiece depicting a charming Leo as a hero who scammed millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors – which is basically what the film’s all about. Their partnership was truly a force in the industry. Leo knows what Marty wanted him to do in this film and both delivered exceptionally well. Leo’s truly a gem in film.

Leonardo, you are simply magnificent. (mimicking Marion Cottilard during her Oscar presentation to Kate Winslet. LOL)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Job Favreau, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milioti, Christine Ebersole, Shea Whigham, Katarina Cas, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, Brian Sacca, Henry Zebrowski, Ethan Suplee, Barry Rothbart, Jake Hoffman, Mackenzie Meehan, Spike Jonze, Bo Dietl

Rating: 9.5/10

*The Wolf Of Wall Street received five Academy Award nominations, including the Best Picture category.

Review: The Dictator (2012)

via wikipedia

via wikipedia

I went to see the film half-expecting a mix of Sacha Baron Cohen’s eponymous characters Borat and Bruno but I thought it was tamer and more solid. The Dictator tells the story of Admiral General Aladeen ruling the North African country of “Wadiya” with an iron fist. He was invited to travel to New York to address the United Nations that led to his kidnapping plotted by his right hand (Ben Kingsley.) Replaced by a dim-witted impostor, the deposed leader device a plan to reclaim his power through the help of Zoe (Anna Faris), a very liberal militant whose appearance in the film balanced out the gross hilarity of Baron Cohen’s character.

The film isn’t as vulgar as Bruno but it has some cringe-worthy scenes that may offend the sensibility of some people but ninety percent of it was hella funny. The direct hit towards the American culture and politics made it even funnier that it almost feel like an intelligent film, only it is not. It was slapstick but relevant, fearless but not jaw dropping at all. With a very touchy topic such as democracy, you might think that Sacha and director Larry Charles went a bit too far as to make fun of a lot of relevant issues that recently transpired but they were able to transition everything into something that is too hilarious to even get a serious thought from its audience.

The Dictator may have pushed the limit as it conquered the reality that is happening now but it gave a solid comedy that we’d all be laughing about from wherever we’ll be watching it. Like democracy, we have a choice to watch it or not. To laugh at it or laugh with it – at the end of the day, laughter’s still there and The Dictator may not be that great of a film but it’s definitely one that is to watch out for – NOW!
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Jason Mantzoukas, Ben Kingsley
Director: Larry Charles
Distributed by United International Pictures and Solar Entertainment Corporation