The Art Direction I Live In

I always try to finish the "Oscar Categories" of my own Film Bitch Awards before the Oscar nominations. I was racing to the deadline, panting heavily, sweating profusely and then I collapsed. I am now crawling towards the finish line. If anything can revive me it's eye candy! So here are my nominees for Art Direction and Cinematography. I would post Costumes too but I'm still arguing with myself over 8 films. (So many worthy efforts!) 

But while I have your eyeballs, I want to talk about one film in particular. Film is a visual medium so you'd think it would be a given that filmmakers would convey their themes and moods and characters visually. But many of them don't, relying on dialogue as exposition or voiceover profundities or leaning heavily on the gifts of their actors to get themes and nuances across. In other words, we have too few Pedro Almodóvars behind the camera.

In the two stills above from The Skin I Live In (which went without any Oscar nominations and was not submitted by Spain for Best Foreign Film) you can see how visually rich and how carefully planned every beat in an Almodóvar film is [MORE AFTER THE JUMP]

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Review: "Haywire"

If you've ever wanted to see Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender or Channing Tatum punched in the face repeatedly, HAYWIRE is your movie. At one time or another, the actors take quite a believable pummelling from rogue CIA agent Mallory (Gina Carano) in Steven Soderbergh's experimental action picture. Soderbergh first spotted his new muse, a real life mixed martial arts champ, while channel-surfing and was so transfixed he ended up building a feature around her. 'Why can't there be a female James Bond?' went his reasoning. He must have meant it in a loose sense for Mallory is no Bond. She's not super verbal, isn't at all comfortable at elegant black tie events, and has no discernible signature catchphrase. She orders no martinis, neither shaken nor stirred.

Carano's lack of acting experience shows when she's not fighting but thankfully that isn't often. Soderbergh, ever a resourceful director, keeps forcing her to dodge bullets, fists, and sharp objects...

Read the rest at Towleroad

P.S. What movies will you be catching up with this weekend? Have you ever wanted to punch Ewan, Channing or Fassy in the face?

Red Carpet Globes Pt 1: Lisbeth is Wednesday

Last week on Red Carpet Convos, Joanna and I were trying on gowns; I borrowed Penelope's (don't judge) and she wore Evan Rachel's.  This week Kurt and I gawk at the Golden Globes but alas, there's no word on which of these dresses Joanna would wear.

Nathaniel: Welcome back to Red Carpet Convos, Kurt. This was meant to be a three-way but Joanna had a fashion emergency off stage of some sort. She's here in spirit and promises to return!‬
Kurt:  A Wardrobe malfunction, naturally.‬ 
Nathaniel: ...which very few ladies were actually having on the Globes red carpet. Everyone (well almost everyone) was so put together. Let's start with Best Actresses of Yore.

Miss 2005, Ms 2008, Dame 2006, Double Dipper 1988 & 1991, and Mrs 2002

poll by twiigs.com

‬

Kurt:  ‪Reese gets my Lazy Trophy of the evening. ‬Between the dress and that wind-blown hair, she looks like she's shooting Bridesmaids 2...in Chicago.
Nathaniel:  ‪Lazy is an odd adjective for Reese since her signature roles are so go-getter ambitious but career-wise and fashion wise. Okay, maybe.‬ 
Kurt:  ‪Yes on go-getter, but doesn't this outfit feel grab-and-go?‬
Nathaniel:  ‪I feel the same way about Kate Winslet since she's been doing only black and white for, what, four years now? Her walk-in s like hitting the "desaturate" button on Photoshop. But she looks sensational anyway.‬
Kurt: I'm with you. It's "matronly" as all the fashion cops have no doubt screeched, but she just looks so beautiful. I even like the clutch, i mean "trophy placeholder"
 

Nathanile: Hee. Hey, trophies are the best red carpet accessories. Did you hear Helen Mirren doing the voice of Becky on last night's Glee?‬ 
Kurt:  ‪ha! no! the boyfriend and i missed Glee. we watched Stage Beauty, with Claire and Billy Crudup.
Nathaniel:  ‪My deepest apologies. You're still functional this morning?‬ 
Kurt:  ‪hahaha...aw. yes, it's a mess. but in terms of sexuality, i had fun.‬ 
Nathaniel:  ‪That sentence out of context! Watch...

in terms of sexuality, i had fun.‬ 
-Kurt 

Kurt:  ‪omg indeed‬. whoops. But back to this damn dame. Regal as always. Definitely red carpet MVP year in year out‬

Yes, she did!Nathaniel:  I think Jodie wore this color for her first Oscar win? Anyway, it's my favorite color on her. 
Kurt:  ‪I do like Jodie's outfit; however i keep getting, A Fish Called Jodie‬ 
Nathaniel:  ‪A Fish Called Jodie. Now I am imagining Jodie seducing Jamie Lee Curtis ...in French.
Kurt: It could happen.  I know everyone loves nicoles dress, but, bless her, she's such a perennial offender for me. and this number looks like her kids glued macaroni all over it
Nathaniel: Wrong. Jodie and Nicki Kidman Nicki Kidman both look like the movie stars they are. Or were...? The weirdest thing about winning an Oscar is sometimes how much it's like a cliff face rather than a peak.‬ Not for these two in particular. I'm just thinking aloud. Sorry, let's call it the ‬‪Susan Sarandon effect when Oscar is like The End. Mabe I'm only thinking of her because she used to favor the peekaboo cleavage that Kate is blessing us with.‬ It's for ladies that are proud of their racks.‬ 
Kurt:  ‪yes. more on Madonna later‬ 
Nathaniel: HA! So when I was assembling that "previous winners" lineup i kept wanting to including Laura Linney, Glenn Close and Julianne Moore but then had to remember. Statue Repellent!‬ 
 

Kurt:  ‪Poor Julianne...

Psychotic Agent, Silent Actress, Perpetual Loser, Perfection, YELLOWWWWWWWW

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

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Beauty Break: Ewan in Blue

GQ is selling blue as the color of the moment. I tend to wear purples and greens -- not "The Joker" saturation levels, mind -- and browns but whatever Ewan McGregor sells I'm eager to buy so perhaps if I ever go shopping again, it'll be blue blue blue. 

Just looking at Ewan McGregor raises my melatonin levels. In 2005 I placed him on a ten favorites of the decade list as my least analytical choice. I just respond to him is all. I wrote...

He rises up jubilantly. I don't care if this sounds cheesy or sentimental but Ewan makes me feel and smile. 

Some actors we relate to as identity surrogates. We want to be them or see the story through their eyes. In the case of McGregor I find I'm always the other characters. I'm always with him. In the 90s when he first came to fame I was rooming with him in a conspiratorial way, painting words on his body, rocking out like a lustful fanboy at his concerts, or killing time and brain cells with him in illegal ways (just like his co-stars in Shallow Grave, Pillowbook, Velvet Goldmine, and Trainspotting) On this last: he's the only actor for whom I would dive into a toilet bowl.

I'm only sharing this to set up the quintessential film in my personal history with Ewan McGregor: Moulin Rouge! The apotheosis for me is probably the "Elephant Love Medley" scene. Like Nicole Kidman's 'Satine' I usually start out trying to resist him (my critical/cynical self usually in control). As he keeps battering away at my defenses with his unique spark, humor, and openheartedness (both as character and actor), I eventually start to cave. I resist, I complain, I explain all the reasons why not. But before long I am totally his.

It still applies. More New Blue Ewan after the jump.

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One Hundred Years of Linkitude

24 Frames a glowing profile of Shailene Woodley in The Descendants who is looking more and more like a real Supporting Actress contender. Alexander Payne even compares her to a young Debra Winger. 
Empire fun investigation of the parallels between Joss Whedon's The Avengers and the Whedonverse itself (Buffy and the like)
Animation Magazine digs into the Oscar race for Best Animated Film
NY Post Apparently Terrence Malick is a comedy loving Ben Stiller fan. Who'da thunk it. 
Variety Weird but true. Scarlett Johansson directing a Truman Capote novella 

Rope of Silicon likes the cinematography of We Need To Talk About Kevin, Rampart and Shame... and I come away singing Fiona Apple...

But he's been pretty much yellow
And I've been cryin' blue
But all I can see is
Red, red, red, red, red now
What am I to do

Ugh, I miss Fiona Apple so much some times. What happened to her?

Cinema Blend watch an artist transform Rooney Mara to Lisbeth Salander with one finger on his iPad.
Scene Stealers lists the best Twilight parodies online.
Socialite Life Mila Kunis kept her promise and attended that Marine Corps Ball. Good on her.
Coming Soon more Spider-Man set photos
Gothamist Edward Scissorhands on the F train
Tom Shone turns out not everyone loves Martin Scorsese's Hugo.
Guardian UK readers can see A Separation on DVD/BluRay now. By all means, get to it. I love this quote from the Guardian capsule:

It's not so much world cinema as world class." 

Tom Munro check out his awesome photoshoot of Madonna and Andrea Riseborough for W.E.  

Off Cinema
TV|Line Elisabeth Shue has been put out to pasture in the land of procedural television. Nathaniel wept. 
Salon unveils their People-adjacent list of the year's sexiest men. No movie stars or Bradley Cooper allowed though we're very pleased to see the wonderful director Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre) on the list. I was also happy to see Marcus Samuellson, star chef, make the list. He touched our table the very first time we ate at his new restaurant Red Rooster in Harlem. It's delicious and afforable, a combo that you can't beat. Try it if you're ever in NYC. 
Towleroad More divalicious links over there... if you want this link party to keep on rolling...