18th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards Winners

Last night the group had an uneven awards ceremony, some moments were entertaining and many more not, but was able to watch the complete show without falling asleep. Winners are *BLUE.

12/11/12
The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 270 television, radio and online critics. Each year, BFCA honors the finest achievement in filmmaking with their Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

Some stats from group tells us that we should pay more attention to their winners. In the history of the awards 10 of the 17 Best Picture winners have gone on to win top Oscar; in the last five years, four BFCA's winners won the top Oscar.

The 18th edition has new venue and broadcaster as the awards ceremony will take place in the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, January 10, 2015; the two-hours ceremony -starts at 8:00pm EST- will be broadcasted now by the CW Television Network.

These are the nominations for this year which were "leaked" but was able to see them LIVE on TV. The BEST news is Marion Cotillard finally getting a nomination, which could mean that odds have increased for her getting at least a nomination. Very glad that this group also honored great Jacques Audiard's Rust and Bone.

Best Picture
*Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Les Misérables
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Animated Feature
Brave
Frankenweenie
Madagascar 3
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
*Wreck-It Ralph

Best Foreign Language Film
*Amour
The Intouchables
A Royal Affair
Rust & Bone

Best Documentary Feature
Bully
The Central Park Five
The Imposter
The Queen of Versailles
*Searching for Sugar Man
West of Memphis

Best Director
*Ben Affleck for Argo
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper for Les Misérables
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln

Best Actress
*Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva in Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts in The Impossible

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in The Master
Judi Dench in Skyfall
Ann Dowd in Compliance
Sally Field in Lincoln
*Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables
Helen Hunt in The Sessions

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook
*Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
John Hawkes in The Sessions
Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
Denzel Washington in Flight

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin in Argo
Javier Bardem in Skyfall
Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook
*Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master
Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike

Best Young Actress/Actor
Elle Fanning in Ginger & Rosa
Kara Hayward in Moonrise Kingdom
Tom Holland in The Impossible
Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Suraj Sharma in Life of Pi
*Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Acting Ensemble
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
*Silver Linings Playbook

Best Original Screenplay
*Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
John Gatins for Flight
Rian Johnson for Looper
Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty

Best Adapted Screenplay
Chris Terrio for Argo
David Magee for Life of Pi
*Tony Kushner for Lincoln
Stephen Chbosky for The Perks of Being a Wallflower
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

Best Cinematography
Danny Cohen for Les Misérables
Roger Deakins for Skyfall
Janusz Kaminski for Lincoln
Mihai Malaimare Jr. for The Master
*Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi

Best Art Direction
*Anna Karenina
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Best Editing
William Goldenberg for Argo
*William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty
Michael Kahn for Lincoln
Melanie Ann Oliver and Chris Dickens for Les Misérables
Tim Squyers for Life of Pi

Best Costume Design
Kym Barret and Pierre-Yves Gayraud for Cloud Atlas
Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor for The Hobbit
Paco Delgado for Les Misérables
*Jaqueline Durran for Anna Karenina
Joanna Johnston for Lincoln

Best Makeup
*Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Lincoln

Best Visual Effects
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit
*Life of Pi

Best Song
For You in Act of Valor performed by Keith Urban/written by Monty Powell and Keith Urban
Learn Me Right in Brave performed by Birdy with Mumford & Sons/written by Mumford & Sons
*Skyfall in Skyfall performed by Adele/written by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
Still Alive in Still Alive performed/written by Paul Williams
Suddenly in Les Miserables performed by Hugh Jackman/written by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer

Best Score
Mychael Danna for Life of Pi
Alexandre Desplat for Argo
Alexandre Desplat for Moonrise Kingdom
Johnny Greenwood for The Master
*John Williams for Lincoln

Best Action Movie
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
*Skyfall

Best Actress in an Action Movie
Emily Blunt in Looper
Gina Carano in Haywire
Judi Dench in Skyfall
Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises
*Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games

Best Actor in an Action Movie
Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises
*Daniel Craig in Skyfall
Robert Downey Jr. in The Avengers
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper
Jake Gyllenhaal in End of Watch

Best Comedy Movie
Bernie
*Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
This Is 40
21 Jump Street

Best Actress in a Comedy Movie
Mila Kunis in Ted
*Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
Shirley MacLaine in Bernie
Leslie Mann in This Is 40
Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect

Best Actor in a Comedy Movie
Jack Black in Bernie
*Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook
Paul Rudd in This Is 40
Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street
Mark Wahlberg in Ted

Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie
The Cabin in the Woods
*Looper
Prometheus

For the first time audiences will be able to vote a category, Favorite Film Franchise and these are the nominees.

Batman
Harry Potter
Indiana Jones
James Bond
Lord of the Rings
Spider-Man
Star Trek
Star Wars
Toy Story
*Twilight

To vote go here or go CW site here.

There are too many categories and some are really ridiculous if you check listed nominees, but if you concentrate only in top categories then maybe we have something interesting. Lincoln leads the pack with 13 nominations, followed by Les Misérables (11), Silver Linings Playbook (10), Life of Pi (9) and with 7 nods each, Argo, The Master and Skyfall. Then Jennifer Lawrence leads the female nominees with 3 nominations, as well as Bradley Cooper leading male nominees with the same amount of nods.

Oscar Nominations Live Streaming

Enjoy!!!

42nd International Film Festival Rotterdam Lineup

This year the fest brings us many films but to be brief here are the sixteen (16) films selected for the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition 2013. Among them are five films supported by IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund. The three winners of the Hivos Tiger Awards will be chosen by a jury of five, among them celebrated filmmaker Ai Weiwei. The winners will be announced on Friday 1 February 2013.

36, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand 2012, European premiere
Director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit uses 36 shots for his original, crisply-told film about memory and lost digital time. In this light-footed and melancholic feature, a location scout loses a year's worth of her photos. She has the feeling that part of her own memory has been deleted and she does everything to get the photos back. In a playful way, this film tackles the issue of changing memory. Deeply hidden in the broken hard disk is also the picture of a possible lover.

Silent Ones, Ricky Rijneke, Netherlands/Hungary 2013, world premiere, CineMart Project 2009
Rotterdam-based Ricky Rijneke shot her first feature film for a large part in Hungary. A young Hungarian woman (played by Hungarian actress Orsi Tóth) wakes up inside a crashed car in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where her brother Isti is. Upset and alone, she leaves aboard a cargo ship to keep a promise she made to him. Once at sea, she withdraws into a dream world and loses grip on her life completely.

Chungmeng (Longing for the Rain), Yang Lina, Hong Kong 2013, world premiere, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film
Linking several genres in a surprising and successful way, Yang Lin’s fiction feature debut is an Asian ghost story in which documentary scenes show how incongruous today's reality can look in China. Protagonist Fang Lei lives in material wealth and only has to care for her daughter. One night, a young mysterious lover appears and makes passionate love to her.

Dummy Jim, Matt Hulse, United Kingdom 2013, world premiere, CineMart Project 2007
More than 50 years ago, deaf Scotsman James Duthie cycled from his fishing village to the Arctic cycle. Together with deaf actor / filmmaker Samuel Dore, Matt Hulse set out on the long journey through northern Europe to adapt this story into his first feature film. Hulse mixes fictional and documentary elements into a virtuoso blend: unusual people in fictional Super 8-films, playful animated sequences and archive footage of the era in the countries traversed.

Eles voltam (They'll Come Back), Marcelo Lordello, Brazil 2012, international premiere
Cris, aged 12, and her brother are left at the side of the road by their parents. The punishment quickly turns into an even greater challenge. Marcelo Lordello's first feature film Eles voltam, which follows Cris in her attempts to find her way back home, is a modern-day fable through different realities guided by the people that inhabit them.

Gozetleme Kulesi (Watchtower), Pelin Esmer, Turkey 2012, European premiere
After her successful fiction feature debut and Hubert Bals Fund-supported film 10 to 11, Pelin Esmer's second feature film Watchtower is a profound character study that takes a critical point of view towards conservatism and the patriarchal system. Haunted by a tragic incident, a fire warden has isolated himself in his remote observation tower. Through a series of events, his life and that of a bus station hostess are brought together.

Halley, Sebastián Hofmann, Mexico 2012, European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film
In Halley, protagonist Beto's days are numbered. He has been dead for years, but can no longer hide the fact. Perfume and make-up do not help to mask his physical decline; the end is now final for this silent zombie. Sebastián Hofmann shows the world through the eyes of a zombie in decline. His first feature film is a contemporary Gothic story without the spectacle, but with plenty of compassion.

It Felt Like Love, Eliza Hittman, USA 2013, international premiere
In her debut film, Eliza Hittman sketches a sensitive and often painful portrait of a 14-year-old girl on her way to adulthood. During an uneventful summer on the outskirts of Brooklyn, Lila turns her attentions to Sammy, an older thug she sees at Rockaway beach. Wanting something to brag about, she weaves a story about him and becomes fixated on seeing it realized. When her attempts fail, she propels the lie even further, claiming they have had sex.

Larzanandeye charbi (Fat Shaker), Mohammad Shirvani, Iran 2013, European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film
Fat Shaker is no ordinary film – certainly not by Iranian standards. Its maker, Mohammad Shirvani, is an artist who uses powerful and occasionally absurd images. The story is about a fat father who tries to con money from women with his young and attractive yet deaf-and-dumb son. The role of the father is played by Levon Haft, who is also the striking protagonist in the film Parviz (also in IFFR). As part of the Inside Iran programme, Mohammad Shirvani has made a special art installation titled Elephant in Darkness.

Môj pes Killer (My Dog Killer), Mira Fornay, Slovakia/Czech Republic 2013, world premiere
Môj pes Killer is a one-day drama portraying eighteen-year-old Marek living near the Slovak-Moravian border with his dad and his racist friends. However, Marek's best true friend is his dog. His life is shaken up when he discovers the secret of his lost mother Marika. Fornay's first film Foxes (2009) premiered in Venice and was presented in IFFR 2010's Bright Future.

Noche (Night), Leonardo Brzezicki, Argentina 2013, world premiere, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film
Six friends return to the big farmhouse in the middle of a subtropical landscape where their best friend Miguel spent his last days. While the sound of his recordings fills the house and gardens, they pack the things he left behind. Brzezicki's directorial début is a haunting sensorial journey through memories, images and sounds.

Penumbra, Eduardo Villanueva Jiménez, Mexico 2013, world premiere, Hubert Bals Fund-supported film
In Penumbra, the second feature film by writer, producer and filmmaker Eduardo Villanueva Jiménez, an experienced old hunter shows his world within a rural Mexico lost in time: a place of suspense and mystery where he creates a fascinating and illusory world together with the spirits of the forest.

Sao karaoke (Karaoke Girl), Visra Vichit Vadakan, Thailand 2013, world premiere
Young sex worker Sa is the protagonist of Visra Vichit Vadakan's first feature film. Sa was sent to Bangkok when she was just 15. After three years in a factory, she decided to become a sex worker in order to support her family. Four years later, Vichit Vadakan met her and invited her to be the subject of this film. She documented Sa's life in the city and in the country and also wrote a fictional script for her to act in. Karaoke Girl is made from these building blocks of real life and fiction.

Soldate Jeannette (Soldier Jane), Daniel Hoesl, Austria 2012, European premiere
Daniel Hoesl makes his directorial debut with Soldate Jeannette after working in the arts for a while, and for filmmakers like Ulrich Seidl and Michael Glawogger. Soldate Jeanette, a film with a distinct personal signature, impeccable aesthetics and original narrative, portrays Fanni, a middle-aged woman living a lifestyle that only the most advanced post-postmodern capitalist society can offer: independence, financial speculation, compulsive consumerism, matcha, taekwondo. She meets Anna, an attractive young woman in dire need of reinventing herself. Together, the comrades set out for new horizons, defying all conventions.

Su Re (The King), Giovanni Columbu, Italy 2012, international premiere
Transposing the story of the Passion of Jesus to Sardinia, Su Re draws for the very first time on the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John together. Giovanni Columbu's distinct view is shot in a landscape unaffected by modernity and played out by an amateur cast, offering still new insights into the life of Christ.

De wederopstanding van een klootzak (The Resurrection of a Bastard), Guido van Driel, Netherlands 2013, world premiere, CineMart Project 2010
The Resurrection of a Bastard, feature debut of visual artist and filmmaker Guido van Driel, is based on his own graphic novel. An original, bleak and sometimes surreal story shot in a compelling, controlled way, Van Driel's film brings together an old Frisian farmer bent on revenge, an Amsterdam criminal barely surviving a liquidation and an illegal immigrant.

To check films in all sections go here.

2013 BAFTA Rising Star Nominations

A few moments ago BAFTA announced the nominees for the current edition and most interesting is to find that is a ladies year as four out of the five are actresses. Nominees were selected by a jury headed by Pipa Harris and if you vote you'll have a chance of winning tickets to BAFTA Film Awards ceremony on Sunday February 10th.

Voting starts today, January 7th and ends tomorrow, January 8th. To Vote go here.

These are the nominees that had a "breakout year in 2012":

Andrea Risenborough, Elizabeth Olsen, Juno Temple, Suraj Sharma and Alicia Vikander

After thinking for a while my vote went to Alicia Vikander for her magnificent performance in A Royal Affair.

2013 Oscar Nominations Predictions

In RED those who were nominated. As many of us, did really bad with director category; but the other categories were not that bad, however believe that my profound dislike for Beasts of the Southern Wild makes me not to think about this movie. Being objective is not easy when you have seen the movies. Sigh.

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Next week we will finally learn the Oscar nominations so today took out my crystal ball to guess what they may look like. If you have been following the news know by now that there is heavy buzz about the new online voting problems and probably are wondering how these problems could influence the results. I'm estimating that there could be some unexpected surprises -especially in non major categories- as tech savvy members have to be the smaller percentage of younger voters that probably have different tastes in movies.

Up to today movies that have major buzz are Lincoln and Les Misérables with many foreseeing that Lincoln could be the one with most nominations (around 11); but if you review the only critic's tally Zero Dark Thirty and Argo have collected the most honors. Most interesting is that critics have not given honors to Les Misérables and Lincoln has only one win. However we can estimate that these four movies surely will a get a nomination in the top category.

As we know the Best Picture category can have up to 10 nominees if each gets enough votes to obtain a nod. As a viewer that have seen many of the frontrunners but still haven't seen one or two, my best guess to fill the number five spot is Silver Linings Playbook followed by Life of Pi in the sixth position. Still believe that maybe other indie films could make it like Moonrise Kingdom and even if I didn't like it Beasts of the Southern Wild could also make it. Still my huge hope is that Amour gets a nod in this category, but know that is a long shot.

These leaves us with some controversial movies like The Master and Django Unchained plus the possibility that blockbusters could be included like Skyfall and Looper. Other films among the 282 that qualified with some degree of buzz are: Holy Motors, Flight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Anna Karerina and The Impossible.

Best Picture
Very Sure: Lincoln, Les Misérables, Zero Dark Thirty and Argo
Sure: Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi
Maybe: Moonrise Kingdom, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained
Long Shots: Amour and The Master
Blockbusters: Skyfall and Looper
Very Long Shots: Holy Motors, Flight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Anna Karerina and The Impossible.

When talking about directors only a few years, in the 85 AMPAS awards history,  nominated best pictures and best directors coincide; still today IF best picture gets 10 nominees there are chances that the five directors could have their movies nominated. Then as we know Kathryn Bigelow has the most only critics honors and Ben Affleck follows far and both movies surely will get a nomination.

The Directors Guild of America will announce their nominations next Tuesday, so we have no help from them to guess which other directors could get nods two days after. Still general buzz includes Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg, David O. Russell, Tom Hooper, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Benh Zeitlin and more, all with films that are also contenders in the top category. Most unlikely to get a nod is Michael Haneke, but many have included him in their predictions and of course I would simply LOVE if Haneke also gets a well-deserved nomination.

Best Director
Very Sure: Kathryn Bigelow (ZD30) and Ben Affleck (Argo)
Sure: Ang Lee (Life of Pi)
The other two: Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master) and Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)
Long Shots: Michael Haneke (Amour), Quentin Tarantino (Django) and Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence are the frontrunners in the best actress category and critics tally confirms it; the other three spots could include critics favorites Emmanuel Riva and Rachel Weiz, but general buzz goes also to, Helen Hunt, Marion Cottillard, Naomi Watts, Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Quvenzhane Wallis and more. Helen Hunt has one of those roles that some consider to be leading while others consider supporting, so she's in both categories in my predictions as she is fantastic in this role. Don't believe that Naomi Watts has an Oscar worthy performance in The Impossible but buzz is getting higher for her, so she's in my predictions.

Best Actress
Very Sure: Jessica Chastain (ZD30) and Jennifer Lawrence (SLP)
The other three: Marion Cotillard (R&B), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Possible Spoilers: Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Rachel Weiz (The Deep Blue Sea), Quvenzhane Wallis (BOTSW), and Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)

According to critics and general buzz, Daniel Day-Lewis is the frontrunner by far; still he could be challenged by Hugh Jackman and perhaps by Denzel Washington. Other actors with buzz are Bradley Cooper, John Hawkes (great performance), Jean-Louis Tritingnant and most unlikely -believe movie and actor are so controversial- Joaquin Phoenix (even if he deserves the honor).

Best Actor
Very Sure: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
Sure: Hugh Jackman (Les Mis) and Denzel Washington (Flight)
The other two: John Hawkes (The Sessions) and Bradley Cooper (SLP)
Long Shots: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Jean-Louis Tritingnant (Amour)

In the supporting roles categories buzz is dominated by Anne Hathaway, Sally Field and Amy Adams; the Golden Globes nomination gave Nicole Kidman buzz, but other contenders are great  Maggie Smith and Ann Dowd. Tommy Lee Jones is fantastic in Lincoln, so is Javier Bardem in his Skyfall first scene (not the action ones) but buzz tell us that Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Arkin and Robert De Niro are also strong contenders, the last not so much but included him in my predictions. If Django Unchained is not too much for Academy members then DiCaprio and Waltz have high chances to get a nod.

Best Supporting Actress
Very Sure: Anne Hathaway (Les Mis), Sally Field (Lincoln)
The other three: Nicole Kidman (Paperboy), Helen Hunt (The Sessions) and Amy Adams (The Master)
Possible spoilers: Maggie Smith (Marigold Hotel), Ann Dowd (Compliance)

Best Supporting Actor
Very Sure: Alan Arkin (Argo) and Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
Sure: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)
The other two: Javier Bardem (Skyfall) and Robert De Niro (SLP)
Possible spoilers: Leonardo DiCaprio (Django) and Christoph Waltz (Django)

Original and adapted scripts are not that easy to guess as WGA nods doesn't gives us much insight, but perhaps the adapted category has better information for us. Nevertheless non-WGA writers are the ones that are getting buzz for movies like Django and yes, Amour.

Original Screenplay
Sure: Mark Boal (ZD30), Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)
The other three: Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), John Gatins (Flight) and Quentin Tarantino (Django)
Possible spoilers: Michael Haneke (Amour)and Rian Johnson (Looper)

Adapted Screenplay
Sure: Tony Kushner (Lincoln), Chris Terrio (Argo)
The other three: David O. Russell (SLP), David Magee (Life of Pi) and Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Possible spoilers: Ben Lewin (The Sessions), William Nicholson (Les Mis),

Best Documentary

Category is really spread with many docs honored by critics and with strong buzz, but as we know only 15 are AMPAS qualified. Have seen many, so I'm guessing from the ones I have seen.

Very Sure: Searching for Sugar Man and The Gatekeepers
Sure: The Imposter
The other two: How To Survive a Plague and The Invisible War
Long Shots: Mea Maxima Culpa and 5 Broken Cameras

Some remarks

The Master has become a movie that seems American audiences, critics and the industry in general did not appreciated much; non-American markets tend to be highly positive about movie, so it's not easy to predict what will happen with this movie. Still I can foresee that maybe movie will not be honored but those that "crafted" the film could be nominated (Seymour, Adams, Anderson). Joaquin Phoenix is a big question mark as many believe he has not been forgiven for his past behavior.

This year have lost interest in the foreign language category as we know that France submission will have a nomination. The only way I could be interested again is IF France does NOT get a nod OR if Amour doesn't get nominations in other categories. BUT if the last happens and France wins I will be extremely upset. So better not to get too involved with this category (lol).

That's it, wont guess more categories and next Thursday finally we will know who got what and the next guessing game will began. Already have My Awards for this year (some of which I am almost sure will win an Oscar), but let's get into the second stage of the game to share with you all.

Cheers!

El último Elvis (The Last Elvis)

Armando Bo's debut film tells the most unexpected story about an Elvis Presley impersonator in a kind of weird, wonderful and bittersweet film that if you know the real Elvis sound you could be fooled by this Elvis as non-actor John McInerny really sounds like the older real one.

Most interesting is to find that McInerny sang live -no studio recording-, he's an architect and also a real life Elvis impersonator; but his performance when not singing is done more with silences plus face/body expressions and he is impressively good. He won the Best New Actor award at 2012 Premio Sur and is very well-deserved.

So you might think that this is a musical, there are songs but belong within a narrative so is not a musical. So then, is a drama? Yes is a drama but there is nothing dramatic in it as story is told very, very slowly, in almost dream-fashion style of every day life, where not much is happening on the screen; there are moments that you wish movie could go faster or to give you hints of what is going on besides what you see in the screen and when finally you start to get hints of what will come whatever you guessed I assure you will not be what comes at the very end. Quite unexpected finale done in a very non-dramatic way while something quite dramatic happens; but then if you think twice that was the only way this story could end.

There are many readings about story, some say is an emotional father/daughter story while others say that's about a looser, a musician/singer that never made it, a failing husband, father and son, trapped in a boring manufacturing job by day and impersonating someone else by night. No matter if you see one or the other story interpretation (or more) there is one certain fact, main character never is himself, he is Elvis, calls his wife Priscilla and her daughter's name is Lisa Marie.

Co written by Bo and Nicolás Giacobone (co writers of Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful) and produced by González Iñárritu film has top tech specs that give film a look/feel that everything is happening in the 60s or 70s but a cellular phone tells you is not; most spectacular use of light, great attention to detail and more gives the impression that film is from a more accomplished director and not a first timer.

It is a great film but because is very slow tend to believe that is not for everyone, only those that are patient, like to admire details, and don't mind that not much happens for almost half the movie will be able to endure entire movie. Still know that those that are real Elvis fans will be fascinated by how striking alike this Elvis is to the real one in more ways than his singing and his mannerisms.

I'm no Elvis fan but after watching movie read a little about Elvis life only to discover a few key facts that made me see this film story very differently, but won't spoil the movie for you so watch it and then read about Elvis surely you will uncover a different story interpretation.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Amour (Love)

First and foremost this is a Michael Haneke film, a 100% Haneke film very similar in almost every sense to his previous films. Yes there is love in this film but also there is illness and death. It's an extremely hard-to-watch magnificent oeuvre and know that as happens with all Haneke's films, each viewer will see what they want to see. The difference seems to be that this time many coincide in seeing love with some saying that is expressed with detachment and coldness. What all seem to agree is that is a great movie. I say no different, but then by now many of you know that I'm a HUGE admirer of master filmmaker Michael Haneke.

A very intense experience that crushed me into tears, exploded all kind of emotions in me and made me think about old age, illness and death, my own. After watching I experienced an intense sadness and took me days to overcome the feeling; but I'm grateful as was able to do an introspection into subjects that you tend to not think about, that tend to avoid. Yes, also saw love, the most realistic love I have seen in film, the one that celebrates qualities and defects, the one that exists when you are partners.

I'm so tempted to really dissect film but will stay out of it by saying that Haneke is as controversial as always with his excellent exploration on human dignity in the most difficult moments a person can live, when everyone wants to help the helpless, when outsiders have to help in the caring but for them is just work, when you see the person you have spend your whole life becoming ... a different being, but you still see that the person is still there, suffering. And all of the above applies to the ill and the caretaker.

This is a film so perfect that is impossible to talk about film as a film as you are absolutely overcome by what you saw, you felt and you are still thinking. You are overcome by images, performances, story and Haneke's mastery in filmmaking and storytelling. Still film is crafted very careful as much as a musician has to carefully interpret a masterpiece, with much work, much detail, much technique, much brain and at the same time with much feeling, much brilliance, and much emotion so those that hear the performance are moved beyond their self consciousness.

Some are talking about Haneke's rigorous, liberating unsentimental world view which I clearly understand what they are saying but absolutely disagree. I believe there is nothing unsentimental (or cold) in this and other Haneke's films as his work always make people feel something, make them think and make them to have "sentiments". Maybe he is very objective, his camera surely is, but unsentimental, no.

Subtle and moving performances by French cinema icons Jean Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are breathless perfection with face expressions that say a lot more than what words say and sometimes contradict what they are talking reflecting the truth of the situation. Impressive. I am a huge follower of Trintignant and have seen almost all his movies, he has many where his performances are exquisite but in this "comeback" his performance has become one of the few that excel. Isabelle Huppert is magnificent as always in a role that is not like the ones she usually performs as she is not often only emotional in the screen.

Story is about Anne (Riva) and Georges (Trintignant), retired music teachers in their 80s, living in a handsomely furnished, book-lined Paris apartment; they are happy, affectionate, loving, active and content. We can hardly see them when they attend a concert (a magnificent scene where the concert audience is actually the film audience of unknowns) and see them coming back home to his life. One day Anne suffers a stroke, has a 95% success surgery and becomes one of the 5% unsuccessful cases. Everything changes for them and you know the end of the story as is the opening scene.

Filmmakers live from seeing his ideas materialized in the screen, perhaps that's their ultimate reward but they also live from recognition and viewers seeing their films. I believe this is Haneke's year and even when he already was honored with his second Cannes Palm d'Or for this film plus collected many more honors, is time the American Industry recognizes his immeasurable talent. This film deserves an Oscar (is Austria submission to foreign language category) and even a nomination in the Best Film category. Still, you never know with Academy members and its powerful influencers.

Truly believe that Haneke has to be seen in a very special mood, you have to prepare yourself to be surprised by whatever he selects to explore. No matter what you have read about story I strongly urge you to NOT skip this film, you only have to find the right moment to see it and you will have one of the most intense cinematic experiences of your life.

BIG ENJOY!!! PERFECTION!!!

Watch trailer @MOC