The 2014 Oscars have few surprises (+ Full Winner List)

Tonight’s Oscars might not have had many surprises but it was enjoyable. Ellen Degeneres brought some humour in her opening monologue but nothing over the top. The best moment of her opening was when she hinted flat out brought up Academy racism by saying that if 12 Years a Slave didn’t win Best Picture, then they were all racists. Some may be none too pleased with that comment but I absolutely loved it. Good news? It won.

Ellen’s running gag of the night was when she talked about ordering pizza. The surprise was about half an hour later when a couple pizzas actually showed up. It was great to see Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey walking around helping to hand out pizzas and paper plates. Also interesting seeing them all eating off paper plates in those fancy outfits. Later on, Ellen went around with Pharrell’s hat getting cash from Harvey Weinstein, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey and others to cover the pizza costs. I wonder what she did with that money? Also wonder what she did with Lupita Nyong’o’s lip gloss…

In the end, I’d say it was a successful evening. Most of my picks won, with the only disappointment being for best actor. Will Ellen host again? We don’t know yet but I wouldn’t be upset about it. She seemed to infuse a youthfulness into the show which had been missing in the past few years. Then again, I also wouldn’t say no to a Jim Carry hosting gig.

Best picture — “12 Years a Slave”
Best director — Alfonso Cuaron — “Gravity”
Best actor — Matthew McConaughey — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best actress — Cate Blanchett — “Blue Jasmine”
Best supporting actor — Jared Leto — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best supporting actress — Lupita Nyong’o — “12 Years a Slave”
Best original screenplay — “Her” — Spike Jonze
Best adapted screenplay — “12 Years a Slave” — John Ridley
Best animated feature — “Frozen”
Best foreign feature — “The Great Beauty” (Italy)
Best music (original song) — “Frozen”: “Let it Go” — Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Best music (original score) — “Gravity” — Steven Price
Best cinematography — “Gravity” — Emmanuel Lubezki
Best costume design — “The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin
Best documentary feature — “20 Feet From Stardom”
Best film editing — “Gravity” — Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger
Best makeup and hairstyling — “Dallas Buyers Club” — Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
Best production design — “The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn
Best visual effects — “Gravity”
Best sound mixing — “Gravity”
Best sound editing — “Gravity”
Best short film, live action — “Helium”
Best short film, animated — “Mr. Hublot”
Best documentary short — “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”

Oscars 2014 — Best Production Design

Production design, or art direction in previous years, is responsible for the overall look and feel of the film. This includes sets, props, costuming, and everything else that contributes to the atmosphere and appearance of the film.

Each of this year’s nominees have worked hard to create a distinct world apart from the one we currently live in. It’ll be a close race as all of these films have a good shot at winning, but the main competition seems to be between The Great Gatsby and American Hustle, though Her could make for a surprise win.

The Great Gatsby turns to the Roaring 20s in all its spectacular imagery one expects from a Baz Lurhman film. Catherine Martin previously won both art direction and costume design for her work in Lurhman’s Moulin Rouge in 2001 which has a similar extravagance. The aesthetic side of Gatsby was so perfect, the attention to detail in this massive undertaking was stunning. It’s really theirs to lose.

American Hustle takes a look at the late 70s providing all the gaudy, tacky, flashy set pieces possible for one film. Becker and Loeffler captured the essence of each character perfectly in each of their homes, which is the ideal.

Her pushes slightly into the future where technology is even more advanced and commonplace then it is today. For this, everything needed to be streamlined to a degree where it felt like we could be living there in a few years allowing for a connection to the major themes of the film while also detaching enough that we knew it was in the future.

1. “The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn
2. “American Hustle” — Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler
3. “12 Years a Slave” — Adam Stockhausen and Alice Baker
4. “Gravity” — Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard
5. “Her” — K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena

Oscars 2014 — Best Costume Design

I still haven’t got over the disappointment of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom not making it into the nominees. The dignity given to each character and the evolution of style and power over such a dynamic and important period was beautifully portrayed through Diana Cilliers’ costume design. However, that’s not an option for this year’s Oscars so lets get to the nominees!

American Hustle and The Great Gatsby‘s costume designers both called on name designers for inspiration with their creations (Diane von Furstenburg and Miuccia Prada, respectively), paying off in some of the most superb costuming of the year. Catherine Martin (The Great Gatsby) previously won Oscars for costume design and art direction with Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge. Although we think The Great Gatsby will pull off the win, it’ll be an indicator of how the Academy is feeling towards American Hustle if that sweeps this category.

1. “The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin
2. “American Hustle” — Michael Wilkinson
3. “12 Years a Slave” — Patricia Norris
4. “The Invisible Woman” — Michael O’Connor
5. “The Grandmaster” — William Chang Suk Ping

The Great Gatsby Had Style And Strong Performances

On Wednesday night I had the opportunity to see The Great Gatsby at an advance screening through Virgin Radio.

I was expecting this Baz Lurhmann directed film to include lots of style with it’s substance, but unfortunately it provided more of the former. That is not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, but it lacked some of the nuanced meaning that the F Scott Fitzgerald novel is known for.

Lurhmann created wonderful sets reminiscent of the novel, my favourite being Myrtle’s apartment, that were lavish and showed the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties. Gatsby’s parties were also elaborate scenes filled with alcohol, dancing, fireworks, and a great soundtrack. Although the film kept close to the classic American novel it didn’t have subtly during the deeper moments. The audience was generally told how to think by Nick Carraway’s narration and reactions without questioning the relationship Carraway with Gatsby and how that affected his opinions.

Although I’m not normally a big Tobey Maguire fan I might have just become one with this film. I loved his portrayal of Nick Carraway, it was powerful when needed to be and noticeable without being the feature performance which was, of course, Leo DiCaprio’s job as Jay Gatsby. DiCaprio immediately showed his embodiment of Gatsby in his introduction as fireworks go off behind him and we got an extended shot of his smile. Carraway was wowed just as we were and the powerful performance continued from there. Gatsby was grand as he filled each scene he was in and enraptured by Daisy every moment after meeting her at brunch. The comedic moment as he broke Carraway’s clock showed his nerves and just how much his picture of her was essential to him.

One of my biggest complaints about Gatsby is the choice to put it in 3D. Instead of helping the film it made some scenes a little blurry and never used the 3D. If there’s an option for 2D I would highly suggest choosing that instead.

Generally I enjoyed the film. It was fun, engaging, and extravagant, but unfortunately I was never completely wowed by the film which is why I’m giving it a 7/10.

The Great Gatsby opens in wide release today, May 10!

Leonardo DiCaprio: Taking a Break

Leonardo DiCaprio, from movies such as Titanic, Departed, and recently Django Unchained, told German newspaperBild [via AFP] that he is taking a much needed break for his other goals.

After delving into the filming of three big movies in the past two years, Django Unchained, The Great Gatsby, and The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio says he is “a bit drained” and will be taking a “long, long break” from acting.

This doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing him for the next few years though. DiCaprio is still just as involved in saving the world, specifically environmental protection, as ever. He plans to “fly around the world doing good for the environment,” which started with him living a green life himself. His house has solar panelling on the roof and he owns an electric car.

This isn’t the first time we will be without new movies from DiCaprio for a few years. Since 2002 he has been in the habit of releasing one or two movies every two years until 2010. In 2010 he released two as usual, but then J. Edgarcame out in 2011, followed by his most recent three: Django in 2012 with Gatsby and Wolf coming out later this year. He does have an impressive resume, so I’m sure I’ll be able to hold off my DiCaprio obsession with those for a few years.

Are you upset he’s leaving acting for a few years?

The Great Gatsby -Book Review

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American classic. Written in 1925 by someone who lived the prosperous, party lifestyle depicted in the novel.

I enjoyed this novel. I had somewhat expected it to be narrated by the title character, but I was not displeased to find otherwise. The story was a captivating mash up of an exaggerated romance, a mysterious biography, and wondrous Gatsby parties. This was an exciting look into this era, yet I have no idea whether it even resembles what it really felt like.

None of the characters were too believable nor too fictitious. I never desired, liked, or envied any of them. When discovering someones deceit it wasn’t a painful betrayal I felt along with the character, it was merely something that occurred during the story that I went along with. The reason I didn’t get into it like I could have was the writing style. It isn’t that it’s poorly written, it’s just… not my style. I can see how this can be made into a wondrous movie as director Baz Luhrmann clearly intends to do, but this book and the characters and their fates never grabbed out at me with intrigue. The most enjoyable trait this novel possesses is it’s descriptions of the lavish lifestyle these well-to-do characters have. The glitz and the glamour, the marvel and the mischief, that was what kept my attention and what excites me most about the Luhrmann adaptation coming out later this year.

I knew almost nothing of this novel when I picked it up to read. I’ve heard it mentioned so often that I felt I should read it, and with the upcoming release of The Great Gatsby (d. Baz Luhrmann) in Christmas 2012 I decided this was as good a time as any. From Midnight in Paris (d. Woody Allen) I ascertained it was set in 1920s America, and from the trailer of Luhrmann’s movie it seemed to be a mess of lights and parties and craziness. Before reading the book, the trailer looked positively deranged. The stylization by Luhrmann was incredible, and the strangeness of what I was seeing didn’t become a cohesive storyline until having read the book and rewatching the trailer. Suddenly I knew exactly what part of the book every scene in the trailer belonged to, and how it would all come together. No longer being a blur, this movie looks incredible, following in the Luhrmann style which makes me very excited.

My Rating: 7/10

Although I was never captivated by the characters or Fitzgerald’s writing style, I enjoyed the book and would read it again. Many beautiful quotes can be found from this novel and the lifestyle pulled from the pages can turn into something magical.

What did you think of the book?