#bradley cooper could get it but also did an amazing job !! ///

[mermaidsirennikita]

Thoughts on the Golden Globe winners?

I'm really annoyed that Charles Melton and Past Lives lost their categories. Charles easily gave one of the best performances of the year (RDJ, in contrast, gave one of the most "he is desperate for an Oscar and overdoing it" performances.... I mean, really, he was outdone by Bradley Cooper more than anyone) and Past Lives had such a beautiful, introspective tone, script, everything. I can see why it was beaten out in certain categories, but Anatomy of a Fall beating it out otherwise... Nah.

I also find it interesting that both losses involved Asian creatives.

So happy for Lily Gladstone and Cillian, I really believe in those wins. Although the direct of The Holdovers cats a pall over the movie (I didn't realize he had accusations against him when I watched the movie, and though I don't think it should be a major awards contender, I thought it was really sweet and the performances were pretty much uniformly strong) I'm thrilled for Da'Vine. She was so, so good and gave an anchoring performance.

I haven't seen Poor Things yet but I'm a fan of the Yorgos/Tony McNamara team, and it sounds right up my alley. I'm not mad at Emma winning that award. Yorgos and Tony bring out the best in her. But that needs to be it, because Lily is otherwise THE ONE. Her speech was so moving. I also really like the way Leo has been taking a step back for her to be showcased this season. He's got... his issues... but I'd love to see them perform together again. They have a very natural chemistry on and offscreen. Like, maybe we could see them in something mildly less dark together lol (big ask of Leo, I know).

Succession deservers everything it got. I honestly think Jeremy and Kieran gave equally strong performances, but I adore Kieran's talent and I really wanted him to win this year. I hope he repeats it at the Emmys. Sarah Snook supremacy. Matty Mac is always amazing and deserving. Let's gooooo.

Musical/Comedy category remains ridic, especially in TV. Jeremy Allen White is someone where I'm like... aware of his talent, though, so I'm not mad when he wins. Also, I'll be frank, the Calvin Klein ad convinced me that he deserves.

Surprised by Debicki because of the low quality script but she was the one light of those last two seasons and gave a uniformly strong performance. She really did a great job with capturing Diana's mannerisms and voice.

I honestly don't need Oppenheimer and Nolan getting all the awards it has. Killers of the Flower Moon was a much stronger film, to me. Like, I think Oppenheimer is one of Nolan's stronger movies. I like Oppenheimer. KOTFM is a totally different level. Aside from Cillian, I found the performances way stronger (I mean, we really need to stop pretending that Emily Blunt was good in that movie--I like Emily, but Jesus), the visual sensibility was less bOMBASTIC but more beautiful imo, and Scorsese did the thing.

[courfleur-blog]

i saw a star is born and i am shook.

[sunfloweradoring]

the one where he’s jealous at an award show

Who doesn’t love a bit of jealous!harry, am I right?

masterlist

word count: 2.8k

“Wow,” Harry’s words escaped his lips along with a dragged out breath. “You look... stunning.” I turned around on the little stool I had been sat on while my makeup artist Lucy finished off the final touches. 

“Thank you, Haz.” I grinned, shooting Lucy an apologetic smile as she sighed because of my movements. “You don’t scrub up too bad yourself, Styles.” I admired through the mirror. His ever broadening chest and shoulders were carrying a black blazer over a white suit shirt. His legs were covered by matching black suit trousers. “You look sexy.” I winked. 

Harry smirked, shaking his head as he sat on my bed. “You’re dirty.” He jokingly chastised, clearly putting on a show in front of Lucy as that certainly wouldn’t have been his response if we were alone. 

“All done, and I’m going to go before the sexual tension suffocates me.” Lucy laughs, putting the mascara wand back into the tube. I stood up, giving her a hug as I thanked her for her handy work. Turning around I could see Harry’s eyes scanning all over my body. The emerald silk dress seemed to hug my body, clinging to my waist and flowing down to the ground. I stepped forward, my right leg pulling on the dress enough for the slit on the left to open slightly, my tanned thigh peeking through. 

“Did you fake tan?” Harry questioned, his eyes almost glued to the patch of skin the dress was revealing. I hummed in response, walking towards him and placing my hands on his shoulders.

“Please don’t mess up my work.” Lucy teased as she left the room after packing away her things. 

“Are you ready?” I asked, softly running my hands over the blazer. Harry stood up, his hands easily sliding around my silky waist. 

“Gimme a kiss first, then I might be ready.” 

I giggled, craning my neck only a little due to my extended height, curtesy of my nude heels. Leaning in our lips gently pressed together for merely a few seconds before I retreated. “There.” I stated, moving to pull away.

“No, wait, that was nothing!” Harry whined, his grip on my waist tightening to prevent me leaving.

“You said ‘a’ kiss.” 

“I also said ‘might’ so shows how you listened.” He leaned down again, this time pressing his lips more firmly to mine. Without me even really realising it he deepened the kiss, causing my arms to snake slowly around his neck. This time it was my turn to whine when the kiss was broken. 

“Harry,” I whined, lips chasing after his as they retreated.

“Nah, gotta go now, Princess.” He smirked, gently pushing me away by my hips.

Smarmy bastard. 

                                                       -------------

“Over here!”

“Can we get a quick, cheeky kiss guys?!”

“Hey Harry!”

“Harry what do you think of her movie?!”

The bombardment of questions was paired with the almost constant sound of camera shutters. Things had definitely taken off in my career in the last few months; especially due to the attention the latest film I’d been in with Zac Efron received. 

Harry’s hand gently squeezed mine, causing my eyes to shift in his direction, a smile gracing my mouth. We stopped in front of a set of photographers and Harry repositioned his arm around my waist as mine mirrored his. 

“How do you feel about your girlfriend with Zac in this, Harry?!” Someone shouted from the sea of cameras. Harry chuckled, looking down at his feet momentarily.

“They’re great together.” He teased, glancing down at me as I laughed and shook my head. 

“Are you proud?” Another voice questioned loudly.

“Extremely.” Harry replied, both of us smiling at each other.

“Thank you.” I mouthed, gently squeezing his side.

We were quickly ushered on by my publicist to a group of people with microphones as well as cameras, all eagerly waiting for the celebrities making their way down the carpet for interviews.

I followed the directions of my publicist to a woman I recognised from various TV appearances. Harry let go of my hand. “I’ll meet you inside, yeah?” He smiled encouragingly, nodding towards the interviewer.

“Okay, bub, see you in a sec.” I agreed, blowing him a kiss as I stood ready.

“Well hello you! Don’t you look absolutely breathtaking.” The woman gushed, gesturing towards my body. 

“Thank you so much! But look at you, I love this dress, and your bracelet, I need sunglasses.” I laughed, pretending to shy away from the sparkling band around her wrist. 

“Oh, you flatter me.” She chuckled, pushing her hair out of her face. “So this film, huh? What an amazing reception; up for four awards tonight. How are you feeling?” 

I exhaled dramatically. “I honestly can’t articulate it. It’s fantastic, you know. When you put so much time and effort and energy into something, it’s indescribable. Everyone on that film worked so, so hard and you could tell that we were all so proud of the parts we played in bringing this story to life.”

“I can hear the passion in your voice, it’s great. How confident are you that your co-star Zac will come away with his nomination tonight? Best actor isn’t it?” 

I nodded in confirmation. “Look, Zac is great, he’s so talented and like I said, worked immensely hard. He definitely deserves to come away with that award.” I smiled. 

                                                      -------------

“Are you going in?” I turned around at the voice, my eyes meeting Zac’s.

“Hey! Yeah, I literally have no clue where I’m sat but I’m hoping to spot Harry in there.” I replied, accepting the side hug he gave me.

“Harry’s here? Can I come say hi?” Zac asked, following me into the room that was to host the awards show.

“Of course!” I nodded, both of us searching the room in hopes of finding that mass of curls poking out from somewhere. When I spotted him, I gestured for Zac to follow me again before heading towards him.

“Hello!” I greeted, leaning down and kissing Harry’s cheek as I sat down in the seat next to him, slightly bumping the table in the process.

“Woah, clumsy.” Harry laughed, looking at me for a second before realising we had company. “Zac! Hi! How are you mate?”

“I’m great, buddy. Thought I’d come over and say hey, but it seems like you’re stuck with me for the rest of the night.” He laughed in response, nodding his head to the woman I’d only just noticed sat on the other side of the table that I recognised to be his agent. He took the seat on the other side of Harry, speaking a few words to his agent in the process.

“How were the interviews?” Harry asked, turning his attention back to me.

“They were sweet, all wishing Zac good luck and wanting us to win the awards tonight.” I recalled, leaning on my hand as my elbow rested on the table cloth. Harry’s pointer finger on his left hand gently stroked up and down my dress covered leg absentmindedly. 

“Did they like your dress?” He asked, leaning in to place a kiss to my cheek. I flushed slightly as I made eye contact with Zac. Despite working in with him for months on end, at the end of the day I’m not even 18 yet and he’s in his 20s. 

“Yeah.” I replied, slightly blunt, clearing my throat and sitting up more straight. Harry noticed the change in my demeanour and glanced over his shoulder to see Zac looking away. It was almost unnoticeable, but for a split second his eyebrows creased as he looked between me and Zac. 

“You alright?” He asked, leaning towards me a little more so the conversation was more private.

“Yeah, of course.” I smiled at him.                             

                                                      -------------

The rest of the evening progressed nicely; various actors, directors and writers were called up to accept their awards and watching their excitement paired with undying gratitude made me shuffle with anticipation for the awards where my film was nominated. 

“And presenting the award for Best Actor we have Bradley Cooper!” The crowd clapped as Bradley walked out on to the stage, fingers grasping an envelope. 

“With the nominees up for this award... it’s intense.”  Bradley laughed into the microphone, causing a chorus of laughter to ripple throughout the room. Zac glanced at me and Harry with a smile, but it was evident that nerves were simmering beneath the surface. “You’re all deserving of this, but as we all know: there can only be one winner. So with my greatest pleasure, the award for Best Actor goes to... Zac Efron!” Zac jumped up from his seat, grinning from ear to ear.

“Congratulations!” Both Harry and I spoke, smiling as Zac embraced his agent quickly. 

“Gotta give you a hug,” Zac laughed, delivering a friendly clap on the back to Harry as he shimmied around his chair to pull me into a tight hug. I could feel Harry watching us, but it was just a congratulatory hug! Right?

Zac pulled away, shooting me another smile before walking away to the stage. Bradley hugged him before passing him the award, then stepping back a little to allow Zac the microphone.

“Wow,” Zac breathed, glancing between the crowd and the award he seemed to be holding in a vice grip. “This is such an honour. I mean to be nominated alongside some of your absolute heroes would have been enough. But to win, thank you. Thanks to every single person that worked on this film, it was electric. Everyone working both behind and in front of the camera made my job a hell of a lot easier, so I share this award with you.” He said, holding it up momentarily. “However, I have to give a special thanks to my co-star. Acting with you was a pleasure. Your talent and work ethic pushed me to new levels and I cannot thank you enough. This is also yours, Y/N.” 

Everyone erupted into applause once more as Bradley and Zac left the stage. Well, everyone expect me and Harry. During Zac’s speech he’d turned to me with a look of disbelief. His piercing gaze was certainly enough to prevent me from clapping my hands.

“What the fuck was that?” Harry questioned, leaning closer to me, his knee bumping into mine accidentally in his haste. 

“It was just a speech, Harry.” I let out a little nervous laugh. Usually I would have just brushed it off, yet the intense glare I was receiving was somewhat intimidating.

“That was... like a declaration of love!” He countered. 

“Don’t be silly.” 

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. He was just accepting an award.” I replied. “And even if it were a declaration of love, it doesn’t matter. You know I don’t see him like that.” Harry scoffed, about to deal a snarky remark but cut himself off when Zac returned to the table. 

“Well how freaking amazing was that?” He grinned, seemingly oblivious to the tension swirling around the air above our table. Harry released a huff, leaning back in his seat, looking at me as if I was supposed to explain to Zac. I ignored him, smiling at Zac. 

“Well done.” I simply spoke. 

All my previous excitement and anticipation seemed to have completely drained from my body. Harry was killing the mood by constantly huffing, glaring towards Zac (both when Zac was and wasn’t looking) and only giving short, blunt replies. I was slowly becoming irritated at his childishness, and quite frankly, he was coming across as extremely rude. 

“Are you guys coming to the afterparty?” Zac asked, leaning across the table just before the final award of the evening was to be announced. Before I could even open my mouth to form a reply, Harry cut in.

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” His voice almost came out as a growl, causing Zac to look at him a little taken aback.

“Sorry?” Zac asked, furrowing his brows.

“Oh sod off, mate! You’ve been eyeing her up all night; Christ probably for the last few months you’ve been working together. She’s in a relationship, alright? She’s not interested!” Suddenly an overwhelming sense of nausea took over my entire being. I felt hot with humiliation and sick with embarrassment. Honestly, I didn’t want to hear where this could go.

I quickly gathered my clutch, roughly shoving my chair back as I stood up. Both men were now looking at me. “I can’t believe you sometimes.” I muttered, looking momentarily at my boyfriend before turning to walk to the doors.

                                                     -------------

“Baby, wait!”

“Can you please slow down!”

I kept walking through the large building towards where the car was supposed to pick us up. I’d sent the driver a text, saying plans had changed and we were leaving slightly early and he told me where to meet him. After quickly observing there wasn’t yet a car in the agreed place, I waited inside, not fancying fans spotting either Harry or I and coming over. Harry’s hand grabbed my elbow when he approached which I quickly jerked away. 

“Please don’t.” I spoke, voice calm and level. “Just don’t.”

“But-”

“No, we’re going back, you’ve humiliated me and I don’t want to talk about it yet. And I don’t want to talk about it here.” 

Soon enough we were in the car, the awkward tension heavy in the air throughout the entire journey. No words were exchanged as we entered the hotel, the silence continuing as we waited for the lift, went upstairs and until we were back in the hotel room that was honestly large enough to be an apartment. 

“Baby-”

“How could you Harry?” I questioned, whirling around as soon as he pushed the door closed. 

“Okay, I get that you’re mad.” He spoke, his eyes avoiding my gaze, finding the carpeted floor more interesting. “And yes I might have overreacted a little, but c’mon, you’ve gotta admit you might have under-reacted too?” Talk about throwing petrol on a fire.

“Have you ever annoyed anyone before? You don’t say that!” I retaliated, going into the bedroom and throwing my clutch on the duvet as I kicked off my heels. “Zac is my friend. My friend, Harry! When have I ever given you any cause to worry about my loyalty to you? I don’t say anything about you having female friends! Heck, you’re even friends with your ex, do I say anything? No, no I don’t because I’m mature enough to trust you.”

His hand came up to rub against his forehead at this, clearly understanding that he didn’t have a leg to stand on anymore. “I don’t doubt you. I just... it makes me... the thought of him... I don’t know!” He released a frustrated groan, hands pulling a little at his hair. “He just seems to have everything, you know? I can’t compete with that.” From my place sat on the bed, my expression softened. I got up, walking over to him. When his eyes didn’t move from the floor, I reached out and took his hand. 

“Hey,” I breathed. “It’s not a competition.” Slowly his gaze lifted and I could see the tears swimming in his eyes, threatening to spill out. “He doesn’t have everything.” I comforted, my free hand reaching up and pushing his hair back. “He’s not you, you know. That’s quite a big thing for me.” Both of us cracked a smile, Harry pushing a short breath out of his nose as a laugh. “I love you. I can honestly say with my whole heart, there is no one else for me, okay? No one I’d rather be with.”

“No one?”

“No one.” 

“You’re just... you’ve made me so happy the last couple of months. I couldn’t imagine not being with you. I love you so, so, so much.” My cheeks blushed at his words, yet he continued. “You’re like this perfect angel, and I question how you could be with someone like me. Like, I’m just this normal teenager that happened to be in the right place at the right time and now I’m in a band. You give me everything. You’re like a sunflower, always following the light and seeing the good in people and situations and I just... love you, s’all.” I giggled, stepping up on my toes to press my lips to his.

“Done?” 

“Yeah, think so.”

“You couldn’t be further from the truth, baby.” I smiled, gently poking his nose. “You’re perfect. You’re not this average teenager, you know? You’re so immensely talented, you’re kind, you’re loving, and you’re always there for the people that you love. I feel so genuinely lucky to even know you, let alone be in a relationship with you.” His hands moved to my hips, gently pushing me towards the bed. 

“Thank you.” He muttered, sitting with me on the bed. A comfortable silence came over us as we stared at one another, cheesy grins plastered over our mouths. “You’re not jealous I’m still friends with Caroline, are you?” He teased, bumping his shoulder against mine playfully.

“Shut up.”

[hows-it-holed-up]

Perfunctory Photo Recap: Alias 1x01

After starting off with Gossip Girl and swinging wildly in the other direction for my second post, I decided a happy medium for No. 3 would be that early-aughts ABC classic, Alias. The show premiered basically immediately after 9/11, and I started watching it in 2002 with its mid-season premiere – meaning I missed the first half of the first season and didn’t get to watch it until it RE-AIRED over the summer of 2002. (How did we ever live without streaming apps? Unfathomable.) Anyway, I was obsessed with this show when it was on, and I suspect it’ll hold up pretty well, even though we’re the better part of 20 years out from the pilot. Let’s get our spy on!

My Disclaimer: None of these posts will be in any way comprehensive, because I’m lazy. All of them are probably going to have spoilers of some sort for the entire series…or at least what I remember of it from when I last watched it an eon ago. Exactly what you want in a recap!

The Prophecy: Our heroine Sydney Bristow thinks she works for the CIA, but learns pretty quickly (after they murder her fiancé) that she’s been a bit of a dummy! She actually works for the bad guys – an organization called SD-6. Will she just sit back and accept it? That would make for a pretty short series! 

Fresh off his thrill-a-minute action masterpiece Felicity, J.J. Abrams stays brand consistent, opening his new series with some light waterboarding. 

We cut almost immediately to Sydney in a college classroom (there we go, J.J.), where she’s scribbling furiously in a blue book and giving me anxiety-induced flashbacks. She meets up with her BF...

Who proposes to her on “the quad” while singing “Build Me Up Buttercup” at the top of his lungs. I remember finding this adorably romantic in high school. If someone inflicted this on me now I would literally walk away and never speak to them again. 

Syd here seems to be contemplating the exact same thing. But she (somehow) gets over it and says yes.  

Wow, there it is! “The CIA.” Honestly, Sydney really should have figured out this wasn’t legit almost immediately. No way the vibe at ANY CIA office is industrial chic. There’s barely a fluorescent light to be found! 

LOOK AT BABY BRADLEY COOPER! (Yes, this screengrab was very strategic.)

He’s so crestfallen when she tells him she’s engaged to Doug or Dave or whatever his name is. Poor BB. Don’t worry Bradley! He’ll have shuffled this mortal coil by halfway through the episode.

Annnnd this is why:

Big no-no!

He freaks out and I guess runs off. When they meet up again it’s at some oil-pumping hoosit in Bakersfield or some such, and she gives him some cringeworthy line about having always hoped she’d find someone to give her life meaning and he’s the one etc. etc. GROAN. 

Then she jets off on her latest mission, where the best part is she gets to use her real accent for about 10 seconds. 

As a southern(ish) lady myself, I always get a little delight when I hear a good southern accent! Everyone seems to think they can do a flawless one, but it’s almost impossible to find someone who’s not from the region and can do it properly. The attempts are usually skin-crawlingly bad.

Anyway, after the mission, she returns home to a not-very-nice surprise. 

J. Garn is VERY good in this scene. 

After a wee confrontation with her boss about the small matter of murdering her fiancé, we cut back to the torture scene, where Sydney’s got some jokes! 

LOLLL!!!!1! But to be fair they did shoot her full of a big ol’ syringe of something we’ll assume is affecting her frontal lobe, or whatever. You try being funny in the middle of a drug-enhanced torture session. 

Anyway, we cut back to Dorian’s funeral, where we get eyes on Will’s (Bradley Cooper’s) sister, who happens to have fire-engine red hair and be dressed like a British goth-punk from the ‘70s. Super approps funereal attire. And also probably nothing to do with Syd’s lil future disguise – just a total coincidence. 

Then over to this image of me, every night of this COVID-19 quarantine. Note the bottle within arm’s reach. By tomorrow I’ll probably be foregoing the glass altogether. 

When we check back in with our girl, it’s been 3 months since she’s been into the office. Prob b/c of the whole “murdered her fiancé” thing but who can say really. Anyway folks aren’t super pleased!

Like really not super pleased. 

There’s a whole fighting thing, and as Syd’s struggling to escape her dad dadus ex machinas on up:

He tells her the people she’s working for are actually the bad guys. And she’s like NUH UH! And he’s like “So then how come you’ve never been to Langley? Also come on have you seen the offices?”

Not really being able to argue with his logic but also not really trusting him, Syd runs off and steals Will’s sister’s identity (SHOCKING TWIST!). Because as all great spies know, you want to stand out as much as possible – so best practice is to dye your hair the brightest color you can manage and dress like it’s Halloween so that everyone will notice you. 

Anywho, all of that somehow works, and we arrive at the part of the narrative where she gets captured and tortured. But because she’s the star of the show, it probably won’t come as too much of a surprise that she escapes! She runs off to find the thing she was supposed to find at the beginning of the show:

A highly coveted floating clown nose! (No but actually it’s much more sinister than that and is a big deal later in the series.)

She gives it to her boss so he knows she’s back onboard:

Then heads straight for CIA HQ, where she writes down her story for this handsome fellow and offers to be a double agent for them:

Sigh. I remember being very into these two as an IRL couple and finding out they broke up immediately before a French test. I also remember I did not do excellently on said French test. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had no interest in studying. I would probably be fluent now if it weren’t for them. 

Anyway, the CIA verifies her statement and sends an asset to let her know that she’s in:

Yes that’s what I just said. 

It turns out that papa Bristow is ALSO a CIA double agent! What a good reveal to end on! Great job J.J.! 

Debriefing:

- After spending 20 minutes searching for a free, not-illegal way to watch this sucker online (because I’m a cheap bitch), I finally gave in, swam around in my massive hope chest and literally dusted off this DVD, which it turns out I still own. Did I buy a DVD player just so I could watch my Alias, OC and Friends DVDs? Who can say! 

- I didn’t realize they introduced the Rambaldi mythology in the first episode. It’s actually pretty impressive they could maintain that as a narrative thread throughout the show. Also we’ve got a “47″ alert at 12 minutes in. 

- They have Jennifer Garner speaking a ton of languages throughout this show, as I recall. I wonder if she’s any good at any of them? She sounds vaguely convincing in the pilot, to me, but what do I know?

- I think we can all agree that Merrin Dungey is a national treasure and deserves to be a bigger star than she is. I’m always so happy to see her when she pops up in other things. And she’s great in this show. 

- Overall, the Alias pilot holds up REALLY well. It does an amazing job of giving depth to all of the characters and really making the audience care about them – even the ones who only appear for a few minutes. The plotting is strong, and the groundwork for the rest of the series is laid without being even remotely heavy on eye-rolly exposition. Plus the actors’ performances are all *CHEF’S KISS*  

[goldglobetwo-blog]

Golden Globes 2020 Predictions

The assignments for the 77th Yearly Brilliant Globe Grants have landed, with Netflix films Marriage Story and The Irishman standing out in motion pictures, while Chernobyl, The Crown and Mind blowing got various gestures for TV. The 77th Brilliant Globe Grants, respecting the best in film and American TV of 2019, will be communicated live from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Slopes, California on January 5, 2020, by NBC. Created by Dick Clark Preparations and the HFPA, the service will air live on NBC in the US. Golden Globes Golden Globes Time Golden Globes Start Time Golden Globes TV Golden Globes TV Channel Golden Globes telecast Golden Globes Predictions Golden Globes Nominations list Golden Globes Nominees list Golden Globes Winners Golden Globes TV shows Golden Globe Awards With six designations, including for best emotional film and acting gestures for Adam Driver, Scarlett Johannson and Laura Dern, Marriage Story drove among motion picture selections. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman landed five gestures, as did Quentin Tarantino's Quite a long time ago… in Hollywood. On the television side, Chernobyl, Fantastic and The Crown accumulated four selections each. Netflix, where the last two shows appeared, alongside Marriage Story and The Irishman, developed as the most grounded streamer in the current year's Brilliant Globes assignments. Remarkably, Apple got its first selections, with a couple of gestures for The Morning Show. The 2020 Brilliant Globes will be facilitated by Ricky Gervais, denoting the entertainer's fifth time as the occasion's emcee. The Brilliant Globes will air on Jan. 5, 2020 from the Beverly Hilton Inn. Golden Globes Live Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globes Live Streaming Golden Globes Live Stream Free Golden Globes Live Online Golden Globes Live Free Golden Globes Live Updates Golden Globes Live Reddit Golden Globes Live TV Golden Globes 2020 Live Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Golden Globes 2020 Live Streaming Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Online Golden Globes 2020 Live Free 2020 Golden Globes Live 2020 Golden Globes Live Stream 77th Golden Globes Live 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globe Awards Live Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream 2020 Golden Globe Awards Live Golden Globe Awards Live Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Golden Globe Awards Live Streaming Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Free Golden Globe Awards Live Online Golden Globe Awards Live Free Youssef is designated to Best On-screen character television Satire/Melodic honor for his job as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu parody arrangement ''Ramy'' , while Malek is selected for Best On-screen character television Arrangement – Dramatization for his job in the renowned American show spine chiller TV arrangement ''Mr. Robot''. The 38-year-old on-screen character got the honor after extreme challenge with acclaimed stars who are Bradley Cooper for A Star is Conceived, Willem Dafoe for At Forever's Entryway, John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman and Lucas Supports for Kid Eradicated. Golden Globes 2020 Golden Globes 2020 Time Golden Globes 2020 Start Time Golden Globes 2020 TV Golden Globes 2020 TV Channel Golden Globes 2020 telecast Golden Globes 2020 Predictions Golden Globes 2020 Nominations list Golden Globes 2020 Nominees list Golden Globes 2020 Winners Golden Globes 2020 TV shows Golden Globes 2020 Live Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Golden Globes 2020 Live Streaming Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Online Golden Globes 2020 Live Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Updates Golden Globes 2020 Live Reddit Golden Globes 2020 Live TV 2020 Golden Globes 2020 Golden Globes Live 2020 Golden Globes Live Stream 2020 Golden Globes Live Free 77th Golden Globes 77th Golden Globes Live 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globes 77th Golden Globes 77th Live Golden Globes 77th Live Stream Golden Globes 77 Golden Globe Awards 2020 Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Online Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Free 2020 Golden Globe Awards 2020 Golden Globe Awards Live Malek's success, alongside the '' Bohemian Composition'' win of Best Film Show, were the most tweeted-about episodes at the past Brilliant Globe. Much obliged to you to Freddie Mercury for giving me a mind-blowing delight, Malek said at the Brilliant Globe arrange. I love you, you wonderful man. This is for and as a result of you, perfect." He added devoting his extraordinary success to the amazing vocalist. ''Bohemian Song'' likewise winning Best Dramatization, balanced out more Malek's extraordinary exhibition in the film that succeeded both basically and monetarily, yielding over $700 million, making it the most elevated earning biopic ever. Watch Golden Globes Watch Golden Globes TV Watch Golden Globes TV Channel Watch Golden Globes TV show Watch Golden Globes Online Watch Golden Globes Stream Watch Golden Globes Online Free Watch Golden Globes Live Watch Golden Globes Live Stream Watch Golden Globes Live Streaming Watch Golden Globes Live Online Watch Golden Globes Live Free Watch Golden Globes Live Updates Watch Golden Globes Live Reddit Watch Golden Globes Live TV Watch Golden Globes Full Show Watch Golden Globes 2020 Watch Golden Globes 2020 TV show Watch Golden Globes 2020 Online Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Reddit Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live TV Watch Golden Globes 2020 Full Show Watch 77th Golden Globes Watch 77th Golden Globes TV show Watch 77th Golden Globes Online Watch 77th Golden Globes Live Watch 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Watch Golden Globe Awards Online Watch Golden Globe Awards Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Online Free Watch Golden Globe Awards Live Watch Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Full Show Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Online Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Full Show Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Online Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Live This video went rapidly popular, getting more than 3 million perspectives in under multi week. I am who I am and individuals can decipher that how they need, yet I love the fans, I wouldn't be here without my fans and I attempt to take however much time as could reasonably be expected, he said to E news remarking on the video. Some of the time, when you've been going around the earth a few times, you attempt to simply be defensive of your time as an individual. Also, I'm discovering it very amusing. Malek has accounts on Twitter and Instagram, he doesn't post a lot and when he does, it's normally identified with one of his movies or political issues with regards to Twitter. There are only three photographs on his Instagram account two with Stephen Colbert in 2016 and 2017, and the third with Ellen DeGeneres on November 2018. He has 1.7 million supporters on his Instagram account, he's not tailing anybody. In a meeting with Vanity Reasonable, Malek said that he didn't like to report his life via web-based networking media. Something about it isn't right and a piece disrupting he expressed depicting his inclination towards web based life.

[bloggoldenglobeposts-blog]

77th Golden Globes Rred Carpet

The 77th Brilliant Globe Grants, respecting the best in film and American TV of 2019, will be communicated live from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Slopes, California on January 5, 2020, by NBC. Created by Dick Clark Preparations and the HFPA, the service will air live on NBC in the US. The assignments for the 77th Yearly Brilliant Globe Grants have landed, with Netflix films Marriage Story and The Irishman standing out in motion pictures, while Chernobyl, The Crown and Mind blowing got various gestures for TV. Golden Globes Golden Globes Time Golden Globes Start Time Golden Globes TV Golden Globes TV Channel Golden Globes telecast Golden Globes Predictions Golden Globes Nominations list Golden Globes Nominees list Golden Globes Winners Golden Globes TV shows With six designations, including for best emotional film and acting gestures for Adam Driver, Scarlett Johannson and Laura Dern, Marriage Story drove among motion picture selections. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman landed five gestures, as did Quentin Tarantino's Quite a long time ago… in Hollywood. On the television side, Chernobyl, Fantastic and The Crown accumulated four selections each. Netflix, where the last two shows appeared, alongside Marriage Story and The Irishman, developed as the most grounded streamer in the current year's Brilliant Globes assignments. Remarkably, Apple got its first selections, with a couple of gestures for The Morning Show. The 2020 Brilliant Globes will be facilitated by Ricky Gervais, denoting the entertainer's fifth time as the occasion's emcee. The Brilliant Globes will air on Jan. 5, 2020 from the Beverly Hilton Inn. Golden Globes Live Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globes Live Streaming Golden Globes Live Stream Free Golden Globes Live Online Golden Globes Live Free Golden Globes Live Updates Golden Globes Live Reddit Golden Globes Live TV Golden Globes 2020 Live Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Golden Globes 2020 Live Streaming Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Online Golden Globes 2020 Live Free 2020 Golden Globes Live 2020 Golden Globes Live Stream 77th Golden Globes Live 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globe Awards Live Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream 2020 Golden Globe Awards Live Youssef is designated to Best On-screen character television Satire/Melodic honor for his job as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu parody arrangement ''Ramy'' , while Malek is selected for Best On-screen character television Arrangement – Dramatization for his job in the renowned American show spine chiller TV arrangement ''Mr. Robot''. The 38-year-old on-screen character got the honor after extreme challenge with acclaimed stars who are Bradley Cooper for A Star is Conceived, Willem Dafoe for At Forever's Entryway, John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman and Lucas Supports for Kid Eradicated. Golden Globes 2020 Golden Globes 2020 Time Golden Globes 2020 Start Time Golden Globes 2020 TV Golden Globes 2020 TV Channel Golden Globes 2020 telecast Golden Globes 2020 Predictions Golden Globes 2020 Nominations list Golden Globes 2020 Nominees list Golden Globes 2020 Winners Golden Globes 2020 TV shows Golden Globes 2020 Live Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Golden Globes 2020 Live Streaming Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Online Golden Globes 2020 Live Free Golden Globes 2020 Live Updates Golden Globes 2020 Live Reddit Golden Globes 2020 Live TV 2020 Golden Globes 2020 Golden Globes Live 2020 Golden Globes Live Stream 2020 Golden Globes Live Free 77th Golden Globes 77th Golden Globes Live 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Golden Globes 77th Golden Globes 77th Live Golden Globes 77th Live Stream Golden Globes 77 Malek's success, alongside the '' Bohemian Composition'' win of Best Film Show, were the most tweeted-about episodes at the past Brilliant Globe. Much obliged to you to Freddie Mercury for giving me a mind-blowing delight, Malek said at the Brilliant Globe arrange. I love you, you wonderful man. This is for and as a result of you, perfect." He added devoting his extraordinary success to the amazing vocalist. ''Bohemian Song'' likewise winning Best Dramatization, balanced out more Malek's extraordinary exhibition in the film that succeeded both basically and monetarily, yielding over $700 million, making it the most elevated earning biopic ever. Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Awards Live Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Golden Globe Awards Live Streaming Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Free Golden Globe Awards Live Online Golden Globe Awards Live Free Golden Globe Awards Live Updates Golden Globe Awards Live Reddit Golden Globe Awards Live TV Golden Globes Awards Golden Globes Awards Live Golden Globes Awards Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Online Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Free Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Updates Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Reddit Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live TV 2020 Golden Globe Awards 2020 Golden Globe Awards Live 2020 Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Golden Globes Awards 2020 Golden Globes Awards 2020 Live 77th Golden Globe Awards 77th Golden Globe Awards Live 77th Golden Globe Awards Live Stream 77th Golden Globe Awards Live Free Golden Globe Awards 77th Golden Globe Awards 77 77th Golden Globes Awards This video went rapidly popular, getting more than 3 million perspectives in under multi week. I am who I am and individuals can decipher that how they need, yet I love the fans, I wouldn't be here without my fans and I attempt to take however much time as could reasonably be expected, he said to E news remarking on the video. Some of the time, when you've been going around the earth a few times, you attempt to simply be defensive of your time as an individual. Also, I'm discovering it very amusing. Malek has accounts on Twitter and Instagram, he doesn't post a lot and when he does, it's normally identified with one of his movies or political issues with regards to Twitter. There are only three photographs on his Instagram account two with Stephen Colbert in 2016 and 2017, and the third with Ellen DeGeneres on November 2018. He has 1.7 million supporters on his Instagram account, he's not tailing anybody. In a meeting with Vanity Reasonable, Malek said that he didn't like to report his life via web-based networking media. Something about it isn't right and a piece disrupting he expressed depicting his inclination towards web based life. Watch Golden Globes Watch Golden Globes TV Watch Golden Globes TV Channel Watch Golden Globes TV show Watch Golden Globes Online Watch Golden Globes Stream Watch Golden Globes Online Free Watch Golden Globes Live Watch Golden Globes Live Stream Watch Golden Globes Live Streaming Watch Golden Globes Live Online Watch Golden Globes Live Free Watch Golden Globes Live Updates Watch Golden Globes Live Reddit Watch Golden Globes Live TV Watch Golden Globes Full Show Watch Golden Globes 2020 Watch Golden Globes 2020 TV show Watch Golden Globes 2020 Online Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Stream Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live Reddit Watch Golden Globes 2020 Live TV Watch Golden Globes 2020 Full Show Watch 77th Golden Globes Watch 77th Golden Globes TV show Watch 77th Golden Globes Online Watch 77th Golden Globes Live Watch 77th Golden Globes Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Watch Golden Globe Awards Online Watch Golden Globe Awards Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Online Free Watch Golden Globe Awards Live Watch Golden Globe Awards Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards Full Show Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Online Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Live Stream Watch Golden Globe Awards 2020 Full Show Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Online Watch 77th Golden Globe Awards Live I never consider it. I simply attempt to encounter things and when I get provoked up I realize that they can do some truly automatic things, or get threatening now and again, he told GQ of his eyes. Indeed, even my mother remarks on it a lot, You don't resemble my child any longer.' I believe it resembles they state the eyes are windows to the spirit'' Malek included. Given Malek's the brilliant opportunity to play out the job of the notable performer Mercury was an obligation he paid attention to very. I was perceptive of the work it was going to take to go anyplace near turning out to be Freddy Mercury. I flew myself to London and put myself up and just got pounding endlessly, Malek disclosed to E News his arrangements for the job. Piano exercises and worked with a development mentor and singing exercises—all that I might do. And afterward I watched overflowing measures of Freddie Mercury exhibitions'' he included. Malek is currently dating his Bohemian Composition co-star Lucy Boynton, who plays Mary Austin, Mercury's first life partner. Golden Globes Rred Carpet Golden Globes Rred Carpet Live Golden Globes Rred Carpet Live Stream Golden Globes Live Rred Carpet Watch Golden Globes Rred Carpet Golden Globes Rred Carpet Time Golden Globes Rred Carpet Start Time Golden Globes Rred Carpet TV Golden Globes Rred Carpet TV Channel 77th Golden Globes Rred Carpet Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Golden Globes Rred Carpet 2020 2020 Golden Globes Rred Carpet Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Live Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Live Stream Golden Globes 2020 Live Rred Carpet Watch Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Time Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet Start Time Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet TV Golden Globes 2020 Rred Carpet TV Channel Golden Globe Awards Rred Carpet Golden Globe Awards Rred Carpet Live Golden Globe Awards Rred Carpet Live Stream Golden Globe Awards 2020 Rred Carpet Golden Globe Awards 2020 Rred Carpet Live Malek and Bonyton, 24, had never discussed their relationship openly up to this point, with Malek affirmed their connection at the Palm Springs Worldwide Film Celebration when he acknowledged the Leap forward Execution Grant. I consider what it might have been want to tell little bubba Rami that one day this may happen to him, and I think his wavy haired little personality would be blown. That child was battling with his personality, attempting to make sense of himself.

[ethenell]

Best Films of 2018: Honorable Mentions

The time, once again, has come. The Oscars nominations are out there, and they’re ... puzzling ... But anyone interested in an alternate take can look no further. 

The cinema of 2018 offered too many notable treasures to whittle down to a simple list of ten, so before we get into the meat of my countdown, here is an alphabetical list of ten films that just missed out on making my list, but are essential viewing for anyone looking to take in the best that 2018 had to offer.

Enjoy!

Blindspotting (dir. Carlos López Estrada)

I’m still waiting for the moment when the world collectively discovers the thing at which Daveed Diggs is not amazing. He had already garnered acclaim as a part of the experimental hip-hop group clipping. before reaching a wider audience and netting himself Grammy and Tony Awards for his role in the paradigm-altering musical, Hamilton. To that already distinguished list, we can now add co-writing and co-starring in one of 2018’s most original films. Blindspotting, set in Digg’s hometown of Oakland, CA, is a searing take on gentrification, racism, and police brutality that show off a deep understanding of the myriad political problems in the rapidly-changing Bay Area, while displaying an equally deft touch with the characters who find their lives irreparably damaged as a direct or indirect result. It’s impressive work from Diggs and co-writer/co-star Rafael Casal that first-time director Carlos Lopez Estrada brings to life with singular vision. Something tells me we’ll continue to see more of everyone involved, but Diggs is undoubtedly headed for greatness.

The Death of Stalin (dir. Armando Iannucci)

You’d be forgiven if you thought the creator/director of Veep, The Thick of It, and In The Loop had already mined politics’ deepest, darkest depths for the pitch-blackest comedy that one could possibly generate from the toxic combination of bureaucratic incompetence and egotistical narcissism. However, as The Death of Stalin shows with brutal precision, you would be wrong. The Death of Stalin is at times so bleak its difficult to even describe as a comedy without a bit of a cringe on your face, but it revels brilliantly in the theater of the absurd and probes ruthlessly at the ruling class with chilling contemporary resonance. And that’s all without mentioning that it features one of the best ensemble performances of the year. In a time when its easy to despair how much our everyday political reality has started to resemble a particularly discomfiting episode of Veep, Iannucci makes a triumphant return with an even more discomfiting message - never forget, things can always get much, much worse.

 Hereditary (dir. Ari Aster)

Another year, another Sundance horror breakout. Even if it doesn’t quite match up with some of its more distinguished predecessors (I wouldn’t quite put it at the level of It Follows, The Babadook, or The Witch) Hereditary is clearly the year’s best horror film, featuring a handful of sequences sure to push you to the edge of your seat, and then keep you up at night. The perennially under-appreciated Toni Collette delivers a performance of such vast emotional range that it deserves mention among the absolute best performances of the year – which, of course, meant that it was doomed to be ignored by the Oscars. Nevertheless, any fans of the genre should stop what they’re doing (including, presumably, reading this list) and watch this film immediately. You won’t be sorry.

If Beale Street Could Talk (dir. Barry Jenkins)

A pairing like Barry Jenkins and James Baldwin makes so much sense, and has such immense creative potential, that it’s generally something that could exist only in cinephile dreams. It simply makes *too* much sense. Yet, here we are, and Jenkins’ follow-up to the critically-revered Moonlight, an adaptation of one of Baldwin’s lesser-known novels, If Beale Street Could Talk, is very much real. Does it measure up to the immense expectations thrust upon it, due in no small part to Moonlight’s rapturous reception and the much-hyped pairing of Jenkins and Baldwin? In some important ways, no. Is Jenkins’ script at times overly-reverent of its source material? In some important ways, yes. But when Jenkins filters Baldwin’s story of the redeeming power of love in the face of oppression through his own unique cinematic voice, the results are breathtaking. Jenkins remains one of cinema’s greatest emerging artists. 

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (dir. Christopher McQuarrie)

At the very least, this latest installment in the M:I franchise was the most balls-to-the-wall fun I had in a theater this entire year, hurtling at a breakneck pace from one jaw-dropping set piece to the next with one of the world’s biggest stars carrying the screen from the first frame to the last. But at most, you could call it one of the decade’s best action films, with some of the most breathtaking stunt work ever put to film with an absolutely singular star who continues to push his penchant for cheating death and tempting fate for our entertainment to daring new heights. The truth probably lies somewhere between the two extremes, but either way, the Cruise’s latest ride as Ethan Hunt is undeniably one of the most thrilling yet.

 Private Life (dir. Tamara Jenkins)

With 11 years having passed since her Oscar-nominated feature debut, The Savages, hit the silver screen, news that Netflix was financing and developing a new film from Tamara Jenkins was met with nearly unbridled optimism. More than delivering on that promise, Jenkins once again delivered a film that delves deeply into all-too-common but dramatically under-explored modern adult experiences. While The Savages followed two adult siblings dealing with the mental decline of their elderly parent, Private Life details a couple in their 40s going through fertility treatments. Like her debut, Private Life uses this trying, even destabilizing experience to explore the ways in which our long-established adult lives can be uprooted as much by our own choices as by external, unforeseeable events. With two sterling performances from Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti at its center, Private Life is rife with incisive observations about overlooked truths of aging together. It’s beautiful work, and undoubtedly one of Netflix’s best “original” offerings.

The Rider (dir. Chloe Zhao)

Using a cast of untrained actors to spin a poetic tale lost opportunity by way of the American rodeo, director Chloe Zhao’s sophomore feature has keyed her as a rising master of cinematic realism. The film follows the struggles of a former rising rodeo star dealing with the fallout of a traumatic head injury suffered during a bronc riding competition, and mirrors the real-life experiences of its star, Brady Jandeau. who Zhao befriended while shooting her debut feature, Songs My Brothers Taught Me. Drawing out brilliant performances and setting them against the perma-golden picturesque of the Badlands, The Rider is a testament to what truly independent cinema is capable of and is sure to springboard Zhao to greater heights.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman)

The most unexpected triumph of the year, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is not just a high watermark in the Spider-Man film series, it is almost certainly the best film to ever come out of Marvel Studios, and possibly the greatest superhero film since The Dark Knight. With an airtight script that spans several universes (literally) with ease, and featuring some of the most glorious and inventive animation ever to grace the big screen, Into the Spiderverse is a rare and perfect marriage between the words on the page and the visual language employed on screen. It a testament to what’s possible when talented artists with an original vision take big risks - it’s a breath of fresh air.

A Star is Born (dir. Bradley Cooper)

Even with an improbably underwhelming Oscar campaign sputtering its way to the finish line, it’s hard not to peg A Star is Born as the year’s most-talked about film. Bradley Cooper brought his gestating passion project to life with scope and vision rarely seen from a first-time director and Lady Gaga turns in an absolutely electric performance that elevates the film whenever she’s on screen. From the spine-tingling live concert scenes to the beautiful on-screen chemistry between Cooper and Gaga, there’s an awful lot to love about this latest iteration of this long-tenured Hollywood classic. Sure, there’s also plenty to nitpick at - obviously more than enough to fuel a backlash against the once-assumed Oscar frontrunner - but when this film is firing on all cylinders, it’s right up there with the greatest cinema of 2018. Cooper is officially a filmmaker to watch, and A Star Is Born looks every bit like a directorial debut that will stand the test of time. 

 You Were Never Really Here (dir. Lynne Ramsey)

One of the year’s most boldly-directed films, Lynne Ramsey’s latest is a lean thriller that goes for your throat but takes up permanent residence in your gut. Ramsey and star Joaquin Phoenix (delivering yet another show-stopping performance) bury you deep inside the mind of killer for hire, traumatized by his abusive childhood and haunted by his military past, as he embarks on a job to rescue a young girl from sex traffickers. If this premise seems familiar, believe me, the execution is anything but. Ramsey’s direction is unerringly brilliant, elevating You Were Never Really Here well beyond it’s pulpy origins to bracing, almost hallucinogenic heights. Oh, and did I mention it boasts one of Jonny Greenwood’s most adventurous scores to date? If that’s not enough to get it in your Amazon Prime queue (hint hint), then I don’t know what to tell you ...

[sizequeen1]

Marvel Movies from Worst to Best

Thor: The Dark World: Pure garbage. I honestly can’t remember anything about except how pissed I was that i wasted money on two tickets. Just an absolute waste of time.

Iron Man 2: This one seemed rushed, as if they had churn out a sequel as quickly as possible. Some inadvertent hilarity with Poor Mickey Rourke’s accent and costuming.

Captain Marvel : Terrible. Just the epitome of paint-by-the numbers-Marvel factory junk. Destroyed Nick Fury’s characterization. A poor story in which Carol’s secret is already revealed the audience before she knows it leaves the film devoid of suspense. Carol herself is just incredibly dull.  Her character makes no sense and her lack of connection to the other members of her group leave the betrayal she discovers at their hands limp and unemotional. Finally, at this point the anti-SJW crowd is being blatantly used to market films starring minorities and women and to encourage those who support films starring marginalized groups by tickets in groves to fight sexism and racism. The film industry knows that we think that we’re doing politics through buying movie tickets. And all we do is further enrich a bunch of wealthy white men.

 Ant-Man and Wasp: Every singe moment of possible pain or suspense is wrecked by the worst imitation Whedonesque humor.  The only saving grace is how nice everyone is.

Ant-Man: Luis is the only reason to rewatch this. It wastes every scrap of the inventiveness inherent in the premise.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Honestly, not the worst film in the world but the plot and characterization of Tony Stark and the bland jaw droppingly bad romance between Bruce and Natasha is hard to recover from and the lack of consequences for Wanda beyond the death of her brother is a head scratcher. I did like Ultron though. He was appropriately creepy villain, and I got his motivation: Peace can only be achieved if humans are gone.

Thor: Meh. I think I rewatched this once. Thor’s wig is bad, the story is basic, and Natalie Portman is embarrassed to be there. Also, the Loki cult was born here, and I never got the appeal.

Doctor Strange: Who cares?  I just got nothing out of this. It’s not a bad movie at all and has lovely visuals but I have no interest in a sequel.

The Incredible Hulk: This movie was...fine? It was fine, It was decent. It was like a cafeteria pizza. Okay.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: Great casting can’t defeat the fact that this is the third go-round on this character in a decade. Despite this, the fact that destroyed the soul of the character by taking away his guilt over the death of his uncle, making the franchise a non-starter for me. Spider-Man isn’t Spider-Man without his pain. He also isn’t Spider-Man in a high-tech robot suit.  

Guardians of the Galaxy: I saw that the film was quality, but almost nothing made me laugh. I thought Gamora was such a boring warrior chick stereotype and Peter was just an unbearable man child. Drax made me alternately laugh with his literalness and wince at his sexism. The only characters I liked completely were Rocket and Groot. Rocket is a tragic figure. This is the only Bradley Cooper movie I could sit through. 

Iron Man 3 2013: I liked this one surprisingly well. The plot twists were great and we got to see who Tony is without the suit, and he is more than a philanthropist billionaire. I liked that Pepper got to fight and save Tony for once. The banter with Rhodey was also good. 

Captain America: The First Avenger: The end drags a bit, and the villain is disposable, but this is the Steve Rogers that I originally fell in love with. The first half creates a character that is indelible and moving as Christopher Reeve’  Superman.

Iron Man 2008: Some of this hasn’t aged well but I guess Tony was supposed to be a repulsive scumbag, but RDJ knocked the character out of the park.  Tony’s losses, his suffering, his betrayals, shaped him into a better man.  

Avengers: Infinity War: The film is solid, emotional, and the end packs a wallop. The only problem is that it is incomplete. 

 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: I didn’t bother seeing this in the theater since I was underwhelmed by the first one, but when I did see it, I was surprised by how moved I was by the story of fathers and sons and sisterhood, and surviving abuse.  They managed to take some pretty shallow characters, like Yondu, and create people whose lives and feelings I cared about. I got to know Gamora and Nebula, a seed that really comes to fruition in Endgame. In this film Gamora began to be a character for me beyond “reluctant love interest” and I came to understand the source of Peter’s childishness. The sexism and racism in the film are still jarring, and those aspects won’t age well.

Captain America: Civil War: Woo. Where do I start with this one. I actually thought they did a great job of expressing Tony and Steve’s philosophical differences although I know that these people are too smart to ever let it come to blows. There were real emotional stakes and consequences here to Rhodey’s health, Bucky’s freedom, and Tony and Steve’s friendship.The originl of Black Panther was entertaining and perfectly integrated into the film. The break up at the end felt genuinely heart breaking. It also had one of the best fights (Steve and Bucky vs. Tony) since the elevator fight in CATWS.

Marvel's The Avengers: Joss had a hell of a challenge in making this, the first real superhero team up, and he did an amazing job. He had to have costumed (no in all black leather) heroes on the screen and have the audience take this seriously. He had to make Loki scary enough to warrant the assembly of super heroes. He had to quickly get the audience up to speed on the characters.  The end battle goes long as these movies tend to, but all of the action told a story, was exciting to watch, and illuminated character.  Yes, Cap’s characterization is a little wonky, but this is the first version of Black Widow that felt three dimensional and the best, most accurate Bruce I have ever seen.

Black Panther: Great sets, costumes, characters and a unique story put this one high on the list, but the politics are wonky (they made the CIA the good guys WTF and portrayed Erik’s desire for revolution as sheer psychotic violence). In addition, the political mobilization around the film was disturbing to me. It scares me that black people think we’re doing politics by buying movie tickets that will just make a lot of rich white men even richer.The film also suffers from having an uninteresting protagonist.  I’m also concerned about the fact that it eliminates two out of three of BPs major antagonists (Klaue and Killmonger) and makes an ally out of the third.

Avengers Endgame:  I’m putting this third but honestly, I enjoyed every part of this movie from beginning to end. The Stony shippers, the Stucky people’s complaints, the time travel arguments? All of that shit perplexes me. I honestly thought the entire film made sense emotionally. The deaths made sense. Those who were brought back made sense. I don’t watch these films for scientific accuracy or to have my slash itch scratched. It was straight up fan service. I left the theater was a scratch in my throat from all my joyful shouting.

Thor: Ragnarok: Just spectacular. I found the first two Thor movies forgettable and didn’t bother watching this one in the theaters. Waititi took certain aspects of the character teased them out more fully and let Chris be Chris.  The visuals are gorgeous. I laughed. I cried.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Yeah, this is still the best Marvel Movie, probably because it feels least like a Marvel movie. It’s a tight spy thriller from start to finish. The last James Bond movie attempted a similar plot about government surveillance, and frankly crashes and burns. The plot, characterization, dialogue, and action in CAWTS in addition to being utterly fantastic, all work together to show how Steve is and is not getting along in the present. It shows me who Steve really is always will be the guy who fights for what’s right no matter what. This film brings Steve into the 21st century and he’s the same guy but somehow more so, and his old fashioned morality turns out to be exactly what we need. Finally: elevator fight.

[tocinephile]

The Morning After - Oscars 2019 Edition

My favourite photo from the 91st Academy Awards

My two favourite moments from last night’s Oscars are better represent in audio, those being Olivia Coleman’s speech when she won Best Actress over the heavily favoured Glenn Close, and when Rayka Zehtabchi exclaimed “I can’t believe a film on menstruation won an Oscar!”

It was fun keeping up with everyone’s reactions and remarks during the awards, and chiming in with many of my own even though I do, as always, find the speed of twitter a little breakneck. Also friends and colleagues who, knowing that I’m a big movie buff, came by or message me to discuss last night’s show.  At times we got animated enough that random passerbys and company VPs felt the need to chime in, which is the best gathering of the minds possible in my world.

Here’s a list of the winners and what I thought of each recipient:

Best Picture

“Black Panther” “BlacKkKlansman” “Bohemian Rhapsody” “The Favourite” “Green Book” (WINNER) “Roma” “A Star Is Born” “Vice”

While not entirely classy of Spike Lee to turn his back when Green Book was announced, he was able to joke about it later that every time a film about driving was pit against his own film, he would lose to it (Do the Right Thing lost to Driving Miss Daisy) My silver lining was knowing that TIFF audiences picked yet another Best Picture winner.  We do have quite a track record, don’t we? I really thought the Academy was going to make a different type of history in diversity by awarding a foreign film (Roma) with Best Picture. Or at least Black Panther, that would’ve been cool too.

Director

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite” Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” (WINNER) Adam McKay, “Vice”

I agree with this win.

Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma” Glenn Close, “The Wife” Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” (WINNER) Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born” Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I was ecstatic to have guessed wrong in my Oscar picks for this category.  Both Olivia Coleman and Glenn Close were such strong contenders (as was Melissa McCarthy).  Glenn Close carried her film, Olivia Coleman elevated her already very good movie to another level.

Lead Actor

Christian Bale, “Vice” Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born” Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate” Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (WINNER) Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

It’s nice that Rami Malek won, and I guessed he would. But I think Christian Bale was still better.

Original Song

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA “I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice (WINNER) “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

I don’t think any other song legitimately had a chance. 

Original Score

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard “Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson (WINNER) “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell “Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat “Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

One last time I’ll say this: Where was First Man? After not seeing it on the list I really had no one to root for.

Adapted Screenplay

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen “BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee (WINNER) “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins “A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

I think a writing Oscar is an excellent award for Spike Lee to win. I’m rarely familiar with the original story vs its adaptation, therefore it’s hard to say who did the best job of adapting their source material.  That said, any way you slice it, BlacKkKlansman was a great script.

Original Screenplay

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara “First Reformed,” Paul Schrader “Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly (WINNER) “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón “Vice,” Adam McKay

While I put my money on Green Book, I can’t fathom why anyone would think it’s a better script than The Favourite nor Vice (I didn’t see First Reformed, and I think Roma is at least on par with Green Book) Destroyer was an original script right? I’m personally disappointed it wasn’t up for any writing awards.

Live Action Short Film

“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe “Fauve,” Jeremy Comte “Marguerite,” Marianne Farley “Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen “Skin,” Guy Nattiv (WINNER)

I didn’t watch any of the shorts this year.

Visual Effects

“Avengers: Infinity War” “Christopher Robin” “First Man” (WINNER) “Ready Player One” “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Again, please to be wrong in this category.  If anything I would have said First Man stood out more in audio achievement, but visual effects were also excellent and I’m glad the film got at least one Oscar because it is such a fine technical achievement.

Documentary Short Subject

“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins “End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman “Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald “A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry “Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi (WINNER)

Amazing acceptance speech.  I want to see this now.

Animated Short

“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine “Bao,” Domee Shi (WINNER) “Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall “One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas “Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

Also a fine, inspiring acceptance speech by Domee Shi. I didn’t see any other shorts but I did watch Bao several times over and my Torontonian pride swelled when it won.  Growing up Asian, there’s a lot of embedded humour in this short as well, the husband character is still my absolute favourite. 

Animated Feature

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird “Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson “Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman (WINNER)

I really gotta see this movie.

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” (WINNER) Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman” Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born” Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

As expected. Though Richard E Grant is still my favourite, anyone catch his interview with Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet? And how he’s besties with Melissa McCarthy now? Love it.

Film Editing

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman (WINNER) “Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito “The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis “Vice,” Hank Corwin

Fixing up a film in editing doesn’t warrant it as best edited film of the year! I cannot believe Bohemain Rhapsody won in this category. Especially again films such as The Favourite and Vice, the former’s editing has a hand in shaping its visual mastery, the latter is entirely built from the art of editing. What the hell?

Foreign Language Film

“Capernaum” (Lebanon) “Cold War” (Poland) “Never Look Away” (Germany) “Roma” (Mexico) (WINNER) “Shoplifters” (Japan)

Capernaum was still better ;) 

Sound Mixing

“Black Panther,” Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali (WINNER) “First Man,” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis “Roma,” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García “A Star Is Born,” Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow

-and- 

Sound Editing

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst (WINNER) “First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan “A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl “Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Just because a film is about music doesn’t automatically qualify it for best sound! Have all the Academy voters gone out of their mind??? If you’re gonna go by that misguided logic then at least give it to A Star is  Born. It’s been a day and I still can’t fathom how anyone could think the sound editing of Bohemian Rhapsody is better than First Man, A Quiet Place, and Roma!

Cinematography

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal “The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan “Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón (WINNER) “A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

This was a pretty stacked category and Alfonso Cuaron did make a beautiful looking film. I don’t know if it was more striking that Cold War or The Favourite, but all in all he did deserve the win.

Production Design

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler (WINNER) “First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas “The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton “Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim “Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Fine. At least it wasn’t Roma, and I get that more often than not the period film usually wins it, so it’s cool to shake it up. The Favourite is still my fav.

Costume Design

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres “Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter (WINNER) “The Favourite,” Sandy Powell “Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell “Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Again, I like The Favourite more.

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Border,” Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer “Mary Queen of Scots,” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks “Vice,” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney (WINNER)

I’d have been surprised if anyone else won.

Documentary Feature

“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (WINNER) “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross “Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu “Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki “RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen

:) That’s the one I picked.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Vice” Marina de Tavira, “Roma” Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” (WINNER) Emma Stone, “The Favourite” Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

I preferred Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone’s performances. Amy Adams even.

So, that’s it for awards season 2019. I did pitiful in my predictions this year because I was way off on the technical awards, not to mention some big ones too like Best Picture. 

I’ll wrap it up by recommending that you watch First Man (with a good sound set up as it is superb technical, has a great score, and supporting actress Claire Foy), Destroyer (for its story and Nicole Kidman), The Hate U Give (that delivers a much stronger message than Green Book ever will), and Beautiful Boy (where supporting actor Timothee Chalamet actually has a sizable role).

[prettymysticfalls]

A Star is Born

"A Star is Born" was one of those films I really anticipated. Everything about it made me want to watch it. After it received 8 Oscar nominations, I was like it is finally time to watch it.

It is a love of story of 2 musicians who find their way to each other thanks to music. A rock star falls for a girl who is shy when it comes to singing her own songs. He takes her to his tours and with their collaboration, she becomes a pop star. Things get sparkly for the pop star, whereas things get rocky for the rock star.

Bradley Cooper's acting is beyond great. Is there a thing this man can not do? He acts, he sings, he directs and he co-writes. Oh well, he didn't play guitar for real, even though he took guitar and piano lessons for the movie. He has always been one of my favorite actors. He just keeps getting better and better. I'm kind of bummed his first directorial debut was an Oscar snub though. Because he did such a good job. Let's cross our fingers that he will keep directing movies and will finally receive an Oscar nomination in the future. Lady Gaga's performance is outstanding. Her voice, which has always been so mesmerizing, is so raw and pure in this movie. It felt so nice to see Gaga as a natural ordinary girl. Although she has a talent for acting, I find her role quite safe: a worldwide famous popstar portrays a rising popstar. But that wouldn't be a fair thing to say because it was more than just that which means she really felt her character. In a way, she gave it all. Her chemistry with Bradley Cooper is amazing. I was surprised because I thought no one could top Cooper's on-screen chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence. I guess, I was sort of wrong. They both got nominated for their leading roles at Oscars. Sam Elliott, whom I thought would be nominated for Oscars with his leading role in "Hero" last year, got nominated for best supporting actor and he was quite good. I just wish they would give more screentime.

"A Star is Born" will definitely grab some Oscars. I don't know if any of those nominated actors will be able to get an Oscar, but this movie will definitely get an Oscar for its music because all songs in the movie have a potential to give audience an eargasm. It has great cinematic frames. So, it doesn't only give eargasm but it also gives eyegasm. That is all I can say about its cinematography. I can not presume anything when it comes to the best picture though. It probably has a bigger chance in the best adapted screenplay category.

P.S. If you liked reading my review and you have a letterboxd account, feel free to like it and follow me there.

My Review | My Profile

[jackiebarnard11]

(updated 3/11/19)

Drum roll…

These FIVE Oscar Pool Players Will Now Receive a Prize-In-the-Mail!!

First place: Jane!

This is Jane’s 5th Oscar Pool and 4th win!

Jane is the Meryl Streep and Katherine Hepburn of the Oscar Pool...

Second Place Three-Way Tie: Caroline, Josh, and Sam!

This is Caroline’s 3rd Oscar Pool and 1st win!

This is Josh’s 5th Oscar Pool and 1st win!

This is Sam’s 5th Oscar Pool and 2nd win! - see new 3/11/19 press posting with his prize-in-the-mail. The Academy confirms all prizes are now in the mail. 

In last, but not least place, Diana who also was the first to join this year’s pool – thank you!

Final scores:

Jane                 17

Caroline           14

Josh                 14

Sam                  14

Lizz                  13

Ben                  12

Sarah                11

David                10

Holly                10

Mollie               10

Debbie              9

Rebecca           9

Amanda             7

Tracy                7

Jeanne             6

John                 5

Patty                5

Diana                4

My ballot doesn’t count, but I got 9 correct 😊

I liked this year’s Oscars; had to watch it over two days on DVR…but it was fun. I especially liked 3 of the song nominee performances: Bette Midler (Mary Poppins), Jennifer Hudson (RGB), Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper (A Star if Born). Loved Olivia Colman’s and Alfonso Cuaron’s acceptance speeches, too.

Thanks to the 19 of you who played; the biggest turnout thanks to Sam getting his friends to play! This was fun.

Winners: stand-by your mail boxes for your coveted 2019 Oscar Pool prize-in-the-mail!! (small type: you must send me a photo of you with your prize-in-the-mail and be available at anytime for interviews and TV appearances!)

Congratulations again Jane, Caroline, Josh, Sam, and Diana!

2019 official Oscars website with stuff:

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2019

Random comments below from me with the full list (updated 3/11/19):

Best Picture:

“Black Panther” - JT: Fun but sometimes get bored by marvel-type movies

“BlacKkKlansman” - JT: Sam says problematic FBI wrong doings, we liked it

“Bohemian Rhapsody” - JT: well done. Debbie has seen this at least 3 times! 

“The Favourite” - JT: I liked it but a bit dark for me

“Green Book” - winner. JT: entertaining, but bit dated, formulaic. Lots of criticism out there on this choice. 

“Roma” - JT: great

“A Star Is Born” - JT: I want to see this. There’s an “encore” version playing in NY for one week w/20 extra minutes..

3/11/19 update: we saw the “Encore” this weekend. 12 extra minutes...I loved it and thought Bradley Cooper did a great job and what a good singer! Lady Gaga was amazing, what a good actress! Very sweet, romantic, believable (except for two glaring moments to me: one when they first met and two, when they first sing together). Otherwise, now I want to get to know the soundtrack and see the other versions (Streisand, Judy Garland, Mitzi Gaynor). I just bought “American Sniper” with Bradley Cooper on Google Play for $3.99...

“Vice” 

Lead Actor:

Christian Bale, “Vice”

Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”

Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”

Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - winner

Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book” - JT: just saw yesterday at the schmancy dine-in IPic theatre South Street Seaport. Thought he was really good and should have won best actor, though I loved, loved Rami’s performance. Haven’t seen much Viggo - his movies are too rough for me

Lead Actress:

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”

Glenn Close, “The Wife” - she was good, but I found the movie mediocre, so not surprised she didn’t win this time

Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” - winner

Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”

Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” - JT: excellent movie and she was amazing; could have won this. 

Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” - winner

Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”

Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”

Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” - JT: he was excellent

Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams, “Vice”

Marina de Tavira, “Roma”

Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” - winner - JT: want to see this

Emma Stone, “The Favourite”

Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Director:

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” - JT: should have won in my opinion even though Roma was great

Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” - JT: want to see

Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”

Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” - winner

Adam McKay, “Vice”

Animated Feature:

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman - winner - JT: so good, trippy, fun to see on big screen

Animated Short:

“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine

“Bao,” Domee Shi - winner - JT: want to see

“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall

“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas

“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen

“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee - winner - JT: good choice

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins

“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Original Screenplay:

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader

“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly - winner

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón

“Vice,” Adam McKay

Cinematography:

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal

“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan

“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel

“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón - winner

“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Best Documentary Feature:

“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi - winner

“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross

“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu

“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki

“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen - JT: still need to see this

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins - JT: Sam told us this was produced by The Guardian newspaper!

“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald

“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry

“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi - winner - JT: this is free on Netflix, excellent, funny, touching

Best Live Action Short Film:

“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe

“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte

“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley

“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen

“Skin,” Guy Nattiv - winner

Best Foreign Language Film:

“Capernaum” (Lebanon) - JT: must see, so moving and well done

“Cold War” (Poland) - want to see

“Never Look Away” (Germany)

“Roma” (Mexico) - winner

“Shoplifters” (Japan) - JT: we are probably renting it for $3.99 today..

3/11/19 update: wow, what a wonderfully filmed, acted film. Sweet, but also very heartbreaking. 

Film Editing:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman - winner

“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito

“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“Vice,” Hank Corwin

Sound Editing:

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst - winner

“First Man,”  Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan

“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Sound Mixing:

“Black Panther”

“Bohemian Rhapsody” - winner

“First Man”

“Roma”

“A Star Is Born”

Production Design:

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler - winner

“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas

“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton

“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim

“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Original Score:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard

“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson - winner

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell

“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Original Song:

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice - winner

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Makeup and Hair:

“Border”

“Mary Queen of Scots”

“Vice” - winner

Costume Design:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres

“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter - winner

“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell

“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Visual Effects:

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“Christopher Robin”

“First Man” - winner

“Ready Player One”

“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

jacquelinetien@gmail.com

Jane: if you make it this far in this post, check out David’s comment about you, he he!

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #189 - Spy

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #358

Format: Blu-ray

1) So the movie starts by introducing us to a sort of typical white guy spy. A James Bond type, but without the British accent (for some reason). It starts with the familiar, the usual tropes, before really fucking them over when Jude Law (who for some reason is trying to do an American accent and he’s not doing it well) sneezes and accidentally kills a guy.

Which is an excellent joke to introduce is into the film’s wonderfully strong sense of humor. If you think you know how a trope is going to play out, you’re probably wrong. In fact, the entire opening sequence is a strong representative of how the film blends quality action with quality humor which will be consistent throughout the film.

2) Melissa McCarthy as Susan Cooper.

McCarthy is the foundation on which the rest of the film is built. From the very first minute we spend with her character she is established as not only good at her job but incredible at it. It is easy in spy spoofs for the main spy to be a bumbling idiot, but Susan’s continued competence is in fact one of the key factors which makes this film as incredible as it is. Especially considering the fact she does have some insecurities at the beginning, insecurities which are largely unfounded because she is fucking good at her job. McCarthy is able to have incredible warmth, heart, and vulnerability as Susan which she doesn’t always show in her film roles. But also when the script calls for it she can have this amazing brashness and humorous loudmouth/angry quality. Susan goes through an incredible transformation from the moment we meet her to the moment we leave her and McCarthy is able to play that absolutely perfectly. It’s HER story, it’s HER movie, and we are just along for the ride in an amazing way.

3) “Who Else Can You Trust?” is abbreviated in the film’s opening credits (I own the full version found on the album) but feels like a real Bond song with the opening credits feeling like a real Bond opening credits. This is part of the reason Spy is able to differentiate itself from other spy comedies like Austin Powers. It takes the genre, action, and stakes seriously throughout. This is real danger and true villains who are trying to get their hands on a nuke. It’s not like “oh, it’s funny because the spy is stupid and the bad guy’s want to kill all cats” or something like that. This sort of silly comedies can and have worked in the past, but Spy’s comedy is born out of its strong sense of characters and performances from the actor. Not by making fun of the genre, but embracing it in a wonderfully fun and funny way.

4) Jude Law’s Bradley Fine often times steps over the line which divides nice guy from Nice Guy™.

Susan: “Could you imagine me as a spy?”

[Fine, who has seen how badass she was in training, laughs at the idea.]

He’s an idiot and kind of a jackass. He may not actively be trying to belittle her but that’s what he does in pretty much 99% of their conversations. He’ll talk about how great she is but he gives her chores which she is overqualified for like picking up his laundry. It’s frustrating but then it’s supposed to be. It’s one of the key conflicts in the film that Susan is underestimated and belittled by all those around her because she’s not what a spy is “supposed” to be like.

5) This film is pretty freaking great, but it could’ve used a little more Morena Baccarin.

Honestly, everything could use a little more Morena Baccarin.

6) What the fuck is this bullshit? He’s secretly SLEEPING with this bad guy and yet…

Fine [upon being caught by villainess Rayna with a gun]: “An awfully big gun for such a little girl.”

7) Allison Janney is someone who I love in literally everything I’ve seen her in. Even when she’s pretty much the straight man in this, the CIA director, I am just drawn to her. I just really fucking love Allison Janney.

8) Jason Statham as Ford.

Holy fucking shit. Somehow Jason Statham is in a movie with modern day comedic legend Melissa McCarthy and ends up being the funniest person in the film. He is totally committed to Ford’s arrogance, jackass qualities, intensity, and hyper masculinity in a way which is 100% hysterical! It’s a tricky business because Ford doesn’t think he’s funny. Ford doesn’t think he’s weird or an idiot, and Statham plays it like that knowing it will derive the most laughs. Ford is basically the super testosterone filled action hero in every movie ever and Statham doubles that while stealing every single fucking scene he’s in. And his chemistry with McCarthy is off the charts funny! Melissa McCarthy is the bedrock this film rests upon but Jason Statham is the fucking cherry on top (I think I’m mixing my metaphors but whatever), he is absolutely amazing.

9) I love this because it makes me angry.

CIA Director Elaine Crocker [about why Fine pressured Susan to stay out of the field]: “Yeah, he sniped you.”

THIS IS REAL! THIS IS FUCKING REAL! MEN IN CHARGE KEEPING WOMEN DOWN BECAUSE THEY’RE WOMEN, WHETHER THEY KNOW THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE DOING OR NOT! GAH! I mean, the film including it is fucking awesome and handled really fucking well but holy shit it pisses me off that this is even a thing.

10) I find it endlessly frustrating (and I think I’m supposed to) that all of Susan’s aliases and spy gear are not the “sexy” stuff but things which could be considered “frumpy”. Why can’t she be a gorgeous baroness with a super slick ride and men on her shoulders? Have you seen Melissa McCarthy? She’s fucking gorgeous.

11) Melissa McCarthy has a very strong chemistry with Miranda Hart, who plays Susan’s best friend Chummy in the film. Their relationship in many ways is much more important than the ones Susan has with any other character in the film, including Fine. And you understand how good friends they are with each other as the movie continues. It’s really great.

12) Ugh.

Ford [after McCarthy points out he didn’t even like Fine]: “It’s called the rivalry of men!”

As a man I can say, “The rivalry of men,” is the equivalent of, “who’s dick is bigger,” because society has convinced us that we’re not a “real man” unless we’re the “biggest” man in the room. It’s fucking stupid.

13) One of the key things that makes Susan as strong a character as she is are her motivations. You understand what is driving her VERY clearly: her memory of Fine. It evolves into more than that as the film goes, it evolves into her just doing her job, but you understand why she does things which are outside of her norm. It’s because she is in pain over Fine’s (supposed) death and needs to make right by him. It’s clear and powerful and helps make the film as good as it is.

14) Aldo - as portrayed by Peter Serafinowicz (legendary character actor who can be found in Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I, and most recently “The Tick” on Amazon) is incredibly funny. Every overly sexualized moment with him & just his general chemistry with McCarthy makes him a worthy addition to the already stellar ensemble cast.

15) As I mentioned in note #10, I don’t understand why McCarthy is given all the frumpy gadgets and covers when she can pull this off:

She’s fucking gorgeous.

16) I’ve mentioned this with a few pairings before, but McCarthy and Statham have this intense/incredible comedic chemistry which is born out of their strong bickering. This is most plainly seen when they're both at the hotel/casino arguing and I think the fact I’ve mentioned it so often is just a sign of how well put together this fucking cast is.

17) There is an incredible sense of tension that plays through most scenes (for example: when Chummy is trying to kill power to the casino) which ties into what I mentioned in note #3: it helps elevate the film over silly spy spoof into this engaging and riveting action comedy.

18) Rose Byrne as Rayna.

Rayna was apparently originally written as a 19 year old girl (this according to IMDb’s trivia section), which makes a LOT of sense considering how much of a BRAT she is. Don’t get me wrong, Byrne is absolutely excellent at giving of the appearance of this elegant and sophisticated socialite. But that’s where the humor is from. The juxtaposition between what you expect from her (a refined Bond villainess) and what she actually is: a moronic spoiled brat. Byrne plays the humor and juxtaposition perfectly. The key part is that - like Statham - she’s not actively going for laughs. She’s not hyping up the stupidity or the silliness, acting like Rayna knows she’s stupid, but instead trusting the script and playing it in a way where Rayna takes herself seriously. And THAT’S the gag! And it’s great!

19) At this point Rayna has called Susan a child multiple times, compared her to a depress homeless clown, and insulted her ability to address herself.

Susan [to Rayna]: “Why are you being so nice to me?”

20) I’m starting to sound like a broken record but McCarthy’s ability to hold her own against how Byrne plays Rayna’s horridness is a testament to her talents as an actress and the chemistry between the pair. God, this movie is just so fucking funny.

21) I mentioned earlier that McCarthy gets the chance to play Susan as both more reserved and brash. It is when McCarthy is acting like “Amber Valentine” (the cover Susan uses to make Rayna trust her) that she gets to show off this aggression WONDERFULLY. It’s also wildly cathartic because a lot of people - including Rayna - have just been consistently putting Susan down for the ENTIRE film. Now she gets to go off on them and it’s amazing.

22) I’d like to point out that very few women die or get “fridged” in this film, not when compared to the men. I think during the entire movie only one woman dies but that’s a nice proportion swap to most male dominated action films. (How many women have died on Bond movies versus the men?)

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

23) The Budapest car chase scene is one of the strongest action set pieces in the film. It’s filled with this intense and enjoyable action, sprinkled with just enough jokes to make it hysterical, it’s well choreographed, and just altogether a fun ride.

24) But even the Budapest car chase can’t compare with the kitchen fight.

The action is INCREDIBLY well done. The fight choreography and energy throughout is just truly kinetic and it just grabs your attention and NEVER lets go. It’s just insanely well done and by far the best scene of the film.

25) I would like to point out - similarly as I did in note #4 - that Fine is kind of a jerk to Susan. He attributes her continued success to Rayna’s inexperience just casually, like it’s no big deal, not realizing he just undermined all the amazing things she just did in this film. Meanwhile the creepy sexpot of Aldo supports Susan and reminds her she’s been doing an incredible job in this film.

26) When Susan learns that Fine is alive, her entire initial motivation for going the distance of being a spy is gone. But that doesn’t matter because she’s not doing this for any man anymore. She’s doing this because it’s the right thing to do and because she knows she CAN do it. I love that. And when Susan embraces this and kicks some serious ass, Fine sees her for who she is.

27) Wait…I just realized that Ford didn’t actually DO anything in this film. He just kept getting caught and screwing up.

I love that! It’s so much funnier for me that way! :D

28) I love that it’s Chummy who saves Susan in the end. Not Fine, not Ford, but her best gal pal. Friendship over romance/sexual attraction is something I really appreciate.

29) And by the time the film ends, all three of the main guys - Aldo, Fine, and Ford - want Susan now. But she doesn’t chose a guy, she choses Chummy. She choses a night out with her girls instead of even Fine, the guy she’s been pining over FOREVER. I love that.

Spy is an incredibly funny and heartfelt film with a powerful message about competence/self worth. Melissa McCarthy gives an absolutely stellar performance and is surrounded by a just as strong supporting cast, with Jason Statham being a particular stand out. The action is crazy, the humor is spot on, the characters are well developed, and the relationships are pure. All in all, it’s just a really freaking good movie I think everyone should see.

[gagafanficswriter]

TayGa Promt: Gaga & Taylor meeting at an award show - they haven't seen each other for the longest time.

It goes like one paragraph is about one of them (Gaga or Tay) and the one after it is about the other one of them until they're together and at the same place. I'm sorry if it's complicated.

~

 It was the day of the Oscars. Lady Gaga was nominated for 'Best Actress' for her role in A Star Is Born. She was so excited, it was her second nomination for an Oscar and she really wanted win this time. And Taylor Kinney was nominated for 'Best Actor'. He was so happy and excited, he knew that it was going to be one of the best nights of his whole life. Bu little did they know they were going to meet each other after the longest time...

~

Gaga woke up so early that morning. In fact, she didn't even sleep for a minute. She was too excited to fall asleep. She was also nervous that she would let her fans down. She perfectly knew that was never going to happen but she always had that feeling when she was nominated for an award and it bothered her. She turned around and saw the empty place on the bed next to her. "He's probably in the bathroom or something." she thought about her boyfriend, Christian Carino. They have been dating for two years now and he was going to the event with her. Gaga wasn't really happy that he was going to be with her but of course, she couldn't tell him not to come. She didn't feel very comfortable when he was around her. He was so jealous that he couldn't even stand seeing another man near her and he made her feel like she was just a baby doll that belongs to him. Yes, she liked him but she could never say the word "love". She still didn't really feel ready to love someone else after Taylor because she actually couldn't get over him. She still had love for him in somewhere in her heart and she knew that. She got off the bed and started getting ready for one of the most important nights of her life.

Taylor couldn't sleep that night either. I mean, who could sleep when they are nominated for an Oscar? He worked so hard on the movie, he tried to live the role instead of just playing it. And he definitely deserved an Oscar for what he did. He got up and went to the bathroom to have a shower. Then he dressed up and went to the airport to pick his mom up. He didn't have a girlfriend so his mom, Pamela, was coming to be there with him and support him at the important event. He could easily find a beautiful girl for himself though, but he didn't want to. He had relationships with some girls before but none of them went longer than a few months. He was always the one who wanted to end the relationship because he knew that he didn't really love any of those girls. He could say he didn't forget about Gaga after all.

Less than two hours were left for the event to start. Gaga was getting ready. Her hair and makeup were done and now she was getting dressed up. She wore a beautiful and cute pink dress which had a long tail. Her black hair was long and wavy and she had eyeliner and not-so-dark pink lipstick on. She stood in front of the mirror, looked at herself and smiled. She wanted to look perfect for the night and she really did. A few minutes later Christian came in and other people in the room left because because they knew Gaga would like some privacy at the moment. "You look amazing, Stef." Christian held her hands. "Thank you, honey." She blushed and look down at her hands. "I can't wait to go home and have some fun with you after you kick everyone's ass and win that damn Oscar tonight." Christian hugged her and whispered seductively in her ear and Gaga felt shivers down her spine. It always terrified her when he talked about making love because he was a little bit too rough and she didn't like it. It wasn't even making love actually, it was just sex.. "Gaga, it's time to go!" Her manager Bobby suddenly came into the room and told her as she was lost in her thoughts. She quickly looked herself in the mirror and fixed her hair a little before rushing out of the room with Christian following her.

Taylor was almost ready for the big event. Pamela was tying his tie. He asked his mother to tie it since he wasn't very good at doing it. After it was done, he looked at himself in the mirror for a moment and fixed his hair one more time. He was wearing a black suit and a dark blue tie. He looked handsome as hell. Pam stood behind him and put her hand on his back. "You look so handsome, son." "Thank you mom." Taylor blushed and hugged her. "I just can't believe that my little boy is actually nominated for an Oscar. You worked so hard and you definitely deserve to win the award, I'm so proud of you." She cupped his cheeks and her eyes watered. "Oh, mom..." He hugged his mother one more time before getting out of the room.

Gaga was walking the red carpet. Everyone was clapping and cheering, screaming that she looked so good. She posed in front of the cameras for a few minutes before walking away. Gaga didn't see him, but Taylor was there watching her while he was waiting to walk the carpet. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, until she disappeared from his sight. God, she looked so gorgeous. Seeing her after the longest time made him feel so strange. He felt something that he didn't feel for a long time. He literally felt butterflies in his stomach. And he could tell he deeply missed her. Taylor was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear that they called him to walk the carpet. He posed in front of the cameras, looking extremely handsome and attractive and then went up to his mother again.

The event was almost over. Now, it was time to learn who was the 'Best Actress'. Gaga was so excited but nervous, also. She could swear to god that she has never felt like that in her life before. She needed her boyfriend to hold her hand tight and comfort her like Taylor always used to do but his mind was clearly at somewhere else. She cleared her mind and just tried to pay attention. When she heard "And the Oscar goes too.... LADY GAGA!", she couldn't believe her ears. Has she just won an Oscar for real or was it just a dream? She couldn't contain her tears and started crying. It was definitely the happiest moment of her life. "Congratulations, baby!" Christian said. "Thank you." Gaga coldly replied and faked a smile before going to the stage to get her award. She made a beautiful speech, thanked her fans, family and Bradley Cooper for giving her the opportunity to play the role in A Star Is Born and then went to backstage.

Taylor was as excited as Gaga when the winner was about to be announced. He was hoping it was Gaga but he actually knew that the winner was her. She did a really good job and she deserved that award. He couldn't help but cheer and clap louder than everyone else when he heard that Gaga won the Oscar. He was so happy for her because he knew how much that award would mean to her. He was so emotional as she made her speech. He was so proud of her. Pam was looking at Taylor, watching the way he was acting as Gaga was on the stage. He was looking at her with sparkles in his eyes. Even just with that she could understand that he still loved her. She already knew it though. She has never seen his son so in love before he met Gaga.

After they announced the 'Best Actress', it was time to know the 'Best Actor'. Taylor suddenly became nervous. He felt like he wasn't going to win and that made him even more nervous. He would be so sad and disappointed if he didn't win because he worked so hard on the movie and thought that he really deserved it. As soon as he heard "And the Oscar goes to...", he felt his heart stop. He was praying the god that it was him. "TAYLOR KINNEY!" He couldn't believe what has just happened. Yes! He was officially an Oscar winner. He looked at Pam and she was crying. He was almost about to cry, too. He hugged his mother and she said "I'm so proud of you, Taylor. You definitely deserved that. I love you." " Thank you so much, mom. I love you too." He hugged her one more time and went to the stage to get his award and make a speech before thanking everyone and getting off the stage.

Gaga sat on the chair next to Christian's when she came back from backstage and paid attention to the man on the stage that was talking. She was a little bit shocked when she heard Taylor's name as they were saying the names of nominees. She had no idea he was a nominee and that he was there tonight. She became so excited for a minute. She hasn't seen him for a few years and she really missed him a lot. She wanted to see him so she decided to go and talk to him at the after party. She didn't know if he had a girlfriend but she hoped that he didn't bring her here tonight or didn't have one because she wanted some privacy, but she wasn't sure that Christian would let her go to him herself. Yes, he was that jealous. She almost didn't hear Taylor's name as she was deep in her thoughts. She immediately started clapping. She was so happy for her baby- oops, I mean Taylor. She already knew this was going to happen when she, of course, watched his movie. "Isn't he your ex fiancé or something? I didn't know he was a good actor. In fact, I didn't even know that he was an actor." Christian leaned to her and laughed a little like what he said was so funny. "Well, now you know." Gaga said in a little bit cold tone, ignoring his first question and paid attention to Taylor again who was on the stage. He's the same Taylor that she saw for the last time years ago. He didn't change a lot, he only got even more handsome. Gaga could literally feel butterflies in her stomach as she was looking at him, she could feel the love she still had for him.

Everyone was at the after party, drinking and having fun. Gaga was drinking and chatting with Christian. Gaga wasn't really paying attention to what Christian was talking about and was just giving short and simple answers when he asked her something. She was thinking about Taylor. As her eyes were searching for him, she saw him standing in a corner drinking beer with some guys she didn't know. She couldn't see Pam with him, she assumed she left because she never liked this kind of things like parties. The guys left after a few minutes and Taylor was now alone. Gaga couldn't wait to go and talk to him. "So," Christian said a little bit loudly, making Gaga pay attention to him. "When are we leaving? I can't wait to get home." He said seductively, pulling her closer to him which literally disgusted her. "Why leave? I'm having much fun here." Gaga cleared her throat, escaping from his grip and started moving her body to the rhythm of the music. "Ugh, okay." Christian said a bit frustrated and turned his head to the left. He saw one of his woman clients and told Gaga that he was going to go up to her to talk "about work". Gaga also told him that she was going to the toilet before he went to talk to his client. She wasn't going to toilet actually, she was going to go up to Taylor but she told Christian that she was so he wouldn't search for her. She walked away a little and turned around to see where Christian was. When she saw that he was there with the woman and talking, she started searching for Taylor and she found him in where he was when she saw him minutes ago. She was walking to him but she suddenly stopped and thought for a minute. What is she going to say to him? What if he doesn't want to talk to her? What if he hates her now? What if he already forgot her? Oh, god she would never want that to happen. After she thought those, she turned to her side and looked at Christian. He was literally flirting with that woman. Gaga already knew that was what Christian was going to do when he told her that he was going to talk about "work" with the woman. And then she said to  herself that she would never know what Taylor thought about her now if she never tried to talk him so she went up to him. "Hi, Taylor.." Taylor heard a soft and cute voice behind him and immediately turned around. He saw the most precious angel he has ever seen in front of him. He couldn't believe his eyes; did she come here to talk to him and was standing in front of him for real or was he dreaming? "H- Hey, Stefani! How are you?"  Taylor finally managed to say. He couldn't speak properly because he was speechless. He didn't expect her to come and talk to him, to be honest. "I'm good! What about you? Congratulations on the award, by the way! You perfectly deserved it." She said, she didn't exactly know why but she was blushing. "I'm fine. And thank you so much! Congratulations to you, too! I already knew that you were going to win it when I watched the movie." Taylor said with a big smile on his face. Gaga suddenly blushed. Oh my god, did he really watch the movie?? He did! And he liked my work too! Gaga couldn't be happier, Taylor's support always meant so much to her. "Thank you! You watched the movie??" Gaga asked surprised. "Of course I did! I knew how much you wanted to be the lead actress in a movie and I was so excited to see you killing it." Taylor still had that big smile on his face. Gaga laughed and blushed. And then she saw the cameras taking photos of them two and suddenly her mood changed. Taylor noticed that and immediately understood the reason of that; she was mad and uncomfortable because there were cameras everywhere. "Hey, umm, do you want to go somewhere else? I know a beautiful place nearby, I would like to take you there if you want." Taylor asked, hoping that she would say yes. Gaga turned her face to where Christian was, he was still flirting with that woman and drinking. It was obvious that he didn't care about Gaga. He didn't even bother to look for her. "I would love to. I want to get out of this place as soon as possible." Gaga said and the two left. "The place is not very far away from here but if you want we can go there by my c-" "Let's just walk." Gaga smiled and they started walking.

They've been walking for five minutes now. Taylor suddenly stopped and told Gaga that they have arrived to the place. Gaga turned to the left and she was amazed by the view. They were on a small hill and there was a beautiful sea in front of them which looked even more beautiful from the hill. Gaga inhaled the smell of the sea and said "Oh my god, it's so beautiful here, Taylor! Thank you for taking me here." "You're welcome. I actually saw this place when I was in the car going to the after party and I really liked it but didn't want to come here alone. I'm glad I found someone to take here with me." Taylor laughed and the gap between his front teeth showed. Oh, that heart-melting smile of him. Gaga blushed laughed as well. The two sat on the bench and talked about how their life was going and other things for a while, looking the sea. There was a silence before Taylor broke it. "Didn't you come to the party with your boyfriend? Where's he right now?" Taylor asked and regretted asking it a second later. What the hell I was thinking when I asked her that?! Did I think I have the right to do that?? God, I'm so dumb. Gaga didn't answer. "Anyway, I'm sorry. I think I shouldn't have asked you that." Taylor said when she saw the sadness in her face and looked down. "No, no, it's okay. I actually don't know where he is right now but last time I saw him, he was flirting with another woman." Gaga said laughing sarcastically.  "What?!" Taylor said a little bit too loud and Gaga looked at him surprised. "I- I'm sorry. I just can't believe him. You don't deserve this.." "Don't worry, this is not the first time he's doing it. I already got used to it." Gaga smiled but it was obvious that she wasn't happy. "Come here." Taylor didn't even think for a second and hugged her and she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt better, she loved having the arms of her love around her. Yes, he was still her love and that was never going to change. "Thank you, really." "For what, Stef?" "The hug. I really needed it." Taylor just smiled and caressed her hair. They stayed like that until they heard a man clearing his throat behind them and immediately turned around. "Christian, what are you doing here?" She didn't feel like she was "busted" or anything because she wasn't doing anything wrong, she was just a little bit shocked. "Stefani. I'm sorry, am I disturbing you two or something?" "...How did you know I was here." She asked. She was scared, to be honest. She knew the things he would do to her when he was angry. "Oh, how did I know you were here?? Are you fucking kidding me?! Your damn photos with that scumbag are everywhere!" Christian said angrily and loudly. "Hey! Have some respect when you're talking to me, man." Taylor was now angry too. "What will happen if I don't? Do you think I'm scared of you?" Taylor was really angry and annoyed but he didn't say or do anything to start a fight because he knew Gaga wouldn't want to see him beating someone to death. "Christian, please stop it." Gaga was so annoyed by the way he was acting. He laughed sarcastically and the dumbest thing escaped from his mouth. "Okay, okay. I'll stop it. And will you tell me what you two were doing? Were you going to fuck or something?!" "Jesus Christ Christian are you serious?! We were just talking!" Gaga said loudly. She was really angry now. "Really? Is that the way you "talk" with people??" She just rolled her eyes and turned to Taylor who was trying so hard to not beat the fuck out of Christian. "Taylor, I'm really sorry I-" "It's okay, it's not your fault." "That's enough! C'mon Stefani, we're going. And I do not want to see you near this boy ever again." Christian pulled her wrist hard. Who did he think he was? He didn't have the right to say that. "Christian! You're hurting me, let me go!" Gaga struggled to escape from his grip but he didn't let her go. "Excuse me, but she told you to let her go." Taylor was still trying to stop himself from starting a fight. "What if I don't, huh?" "Then I will make you." Taylor said and punched him in the face. Christian fell to the ground and his nose was bleeding. "You will regret this." Christian stood up from the ground and punched Taylor. He nearly fell but he wasn't bleeding. "Oh my god, guys stop it!!" was the only thing Gaga managed to say as she was crying and they were beating each other. She tried to stop them but she couldn't. Christian was actually the one who was being beaten up. He could only punch Taylor only 2 times because he was stronger than him. "...Taylor, please stop." He heard and turned around to see Gaga who was crying. It broke his heart and he stopped beating Christian up. He then went up to her, hugged her and told her that he was so sorry. She told him it was okay and that he deserved it. "You whore! You see what he did to your boyfriend and still let him hug you?! You'll regret this when we get home." Gaga was really angry and sad by what she just heard. How could he call her a whore?! She wasn't a whore and no one could say that to her. "She won't regret anything because she's not coming with you. She'll come with me." Taylor snapped and both Gaga and Christian looked at him surprised. "Yo- You are not going with him, right??" Gaga thought for a minute. "Yes, yes I'm going with Taylor." She smiled at him and he smiled back at her. "You can't do this! You're mine!!" "Well, not anymore." Gaga said and Taylor punched Christian one more time as he was trying to stop them before walking away. Christian kept calling them names and saying that they will regret doing this to him. Honestly, who the fuck did he think he was? He could never do anything to them, he couldn't dare to. The two got into Taylor's car and went to his home.

They were now at the house Taylor rented for the his week off. They were watching TV, talking and joking around but they were trying not to be so loud because Pamela was at upstairs, sleeping in her room. "Taylor, I'm really really sorry for what Christian did. He is so disrespectful." Gaga suddenly said. "Stef, you don't have to be sorry for anything he did, he is nothing but a worthless asshole." Taylor was sad that she felt responsible for what Christian said and did, he was her boyfriend but it wasn't her fault that he was one disrespectful man. "I know, but all the bad things he said to you... You do not deserve that." Gaga had a very sad expression on her face. "Neither do you, Stefani. I'm honestly so glad I beat that man up after the names he called you and the way he hurt you." He laughed a little to try to cheer Gaga up and he managed to do it. He held her hands "And you know what? He will never be able to do that to you again. I'll always be there to protect you from him and everyone who treats you like he does. Because you're so precious, you deserve to be treated like the princess you are." He paused for a moment and looked at how adorable Gaga was; she was blushing and looking down at her hands which were in his big ones. "...I love you, Stefani." He held her hands even tighter. He was so nervous waiting for her reaction and he suddenly felt her lips on his. The kiss was short, but it felt so good. They both could say it was one of the most beautiful kisses they had in their life. "I love you too." Gaga said when they broke the kiss off. They both were blushing. They felt like a couple of teenagers who were in love and have just had their first kiss ever. They hugged each other and stayed like that for a while before deciding that it had been a long day and it was time to go to bed.

The two didn't make love or anything, they just kissed all night. It was the biggest pleasure they could give each other. After hours of kissing and cuddling, they finally fell asleep in each other's arms. It was one of the best nights of their whole life.

The End.

~

hii!! i've finally finished writing it! i'm so sorry for the wait :( but i hope you'll like it! forgive me if i made any mistakes and let me know what you think please, xoxo 😘

[durantej24]

91st Academy Award Nominations

January 22, The nominees for the 91st Academy Awards were revealed earlier this morning in Hollywood.

This is going to be an interesting year for the Academy Awards due to the fact that there is no host. All can change in the next couple weeks before OSCAR Sunday. It's also very interesting to see that this is the second year in a row where two films that received the most nominations I was not a fan of.

"Roma," a Netflix film that looks back at director Alfonso Cuarón's youth in Mexico. As I stated in my "Roma" review, it was not the Best Film I have ever seen but it's a unique and interesting and also decent film. It's going to be interesting to see if it takes home Best Picture.

And my least favourite film get it, "The Favourite," which is aa period dramedy with an all-star cast, tied with Roma the for most nominations with ten each. I am Shocked "The Favourite," also got the most nominations and I hope this film looses BIG TIME!

It was nice to witness history as "Black Panther" became the he first superhero film to ever be nominated for best picture. Other films making it into the Best Picture nominations were my two favorites "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "Green Book" along with "Blackkklansman" and my other two least favorites "A Star Is Born" and "Vice. 

I think right now with three all of these films, it's going to be a tough competition even with the three films I did not give good reviews to. I think Rami Malek should win for "Bohemian Rhapsody," but I have a funny feeling Hollywood will give the Best Actor Award to Christian Bale for his performance as former Vice President Dick Cheney for "Vice." 

I did not like that movie but Bale did do an amazing job overall, but he did take home Best Supporting Actor in 2011 for "The Fighter," I hope it's Malek's year. Two weeks ago, we have seen a tie for Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, between Glenn Close for her role in "The Wife" and Lady Gaga for her performance in "A Star Is Born." They both were nominated this morning along with Olivia Coleman for "The Favourite." I did not see "The Wife" and I did not like "The Favourite" or "A Star Is Born," But Coleman was terrific in 

"The Favourite" as a Frail Queen Anne and Gaga was also terrific in "A Star Is Born," as a singer trying to make it big. This race for Best Actress is going to be a "Fight For The Death!"

The Oscars are on Sunday February 24, at 8:00 on ABC.

The Full List is Below. Like and Comment Who or What Should Win!

BEST PICTURE "Black Panther" "BlacKkKlansman" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "The Favourite" "Green Book" "Roma" "A Star Is Born" "Vice"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Amy Adams, "Vice" Marina de Tavira, "Roma" Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk" Emma Stone, "The Favourite" Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Mahershala Ali, "Green Book" Adam Driver, "BlackKKlansman" Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born" Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me" Sam Rockwell, "Vice"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM "Capernaum" "Cold War" "Never Look Away" "Roma" "Shoplifters"

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT) "Black Sheep" "End Game" "Lifeboat" "A Night at the Garden" "Period. End of Sentence."

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE "Free Solo" "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" "Minding the Gap" "Of Fathers and Sons" "RBG"

ORIGINAL SONG "All The Stars" - "Black Panther" "I'll Fight" - "RBG" "Shallow" - "A Star Is Born "The Place Where Lost Things Go" - "Mary Poppins Returns" "When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM "Incredibles 2" "Isle of Dogs" "Mirai" "Ralph Breaks the Internet" "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" "BlacKkKlansman" "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" "If Beale Street Could Talk" "A Star Is Born" ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY "First Reformed" "Green Book" "Roma" "The Favourite" "Vice"

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Christian Bale, "Vice" Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born" Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate" Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody" Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Yalitza Aparicio, "Roma" Glenn Close, "The Wife" Lady Gaga, "A Star Is Born" Olivia Colman, "The Favourite" Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

DIRECTOR Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman" Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War" Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite" Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma" Adam McKay, "Vice"

PRODUCTION DESIGN "Black Panther" "The Favourite" "First Man" "Mary Poppins Returns" "Roma"

CINEMATOGRAPHY "Cold War" "The Favourite" "Never Look Away" "Roma" "A Star Is Born"

COSTUME DESIGN "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" "Black Panther" "The Favourite" "Mary Poppins Returns" "Mary Queen of Scots"

SOUND EDITING "A Quiet Place" "Black Panther" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "First Man" "Roma"

SOUND MIXING "Black Panther" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "First Man" "Roma" "A Star Is Born"

ANIMATED SHORT FILM "Animal Behaviour" "Bao" "Late Afternoon" "One Small Step" "Weekends"

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM "Detainment" "Fauve" "Marguerite" "Mother" "Skin"

ORIGINAL SCORE "Black Panther" "BlacKkKlansman" "If Beale Street Could Talk" "Isle of Dogs" "Mary Poppins Returns"

VISUAL EFFECTS "Avengers: Infinity War" "Christopher Robin" "First Man" "Ready Player One" "Solo: A Star Wars Story"

FILM EDITING "BlacKkKlansman" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "Green Book" "The Favourite" "Vice"

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING "Border" "Mary Queen of Scots" "Vice"

[rate-out-of-10]

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 REVIEW

In 2014 the MCU opened its arms to the lesser known (at the time) gang of heroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy. It was a head scratcher as to why, with the Avengers being the biggest thing in comic cinema ever, to launch a new film set so far away from everything happening in the MCU with a bunch of relatively unknown people. However, the risk paid off and Guardians of the Galaxy was a huge surprise hit. It surprised comic fans and casual movie-goers alike with its quick wit, lovable and unique characters, and its total embrace of its cheesy qualities. The best way to sum up the Guardians of the Galaxy is: 70s/80s rock & pop music laid over superheroes in space. It’s perfect, and let me tell you, Vol. 2 keeps that reputation going with ease.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Chris Pratt returns as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and he’s as lovable as ever. He’s the perfect person to play this role. Vol. 2 gives Peter the chance to shine in some more dramatic elements with him meeting his father and learning the truth about his mother and his lineage. But even when faced with some lower, more dramatic parts, he’s still the wise-ass Star-Lord we’ve come to love. And that’s where the movie shines specifically; expanding some crucial parts for each character, while maintaining them. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and her relationship with her sister Nebula (Karen Gillian) is a big sub-plot here and I absolutely enjoyed it. Tackling abuse is a touchy thing to do in film, especially when it’s in the midst of a more light-hearted feel, but the importance is not lost on it. The rivalry between the two is apparent and I liked learning why and how it came to be. I do wish, though, that I saw the rivalry grow with flashbacks to younger versions of the two, even just one; I am getting tired of dead-pan close ups of angry/sad people just retelling their traumatic backstories, no matter how affecting they might be. And while I’m talking about Nebula and Gamora, these two seemed to fall into the pit of being a little too over the top with their lines. Most delivered by Nebula felt off and a little too dramatic. However, upon a second viewing I felt more content with the lines. Another character that is fleshed out rather well is Yondu, the Ravager who took Peter as a child and somewhat raised him. We learn why he kept Peter instead of returning him to his father, where he came from (in yet another sad dead-pan retelling), and something that was a great addition, his relationship with Rocket. It was touching and hilarious and something new that we needed to see out of the two. Yondu being specifically talked of as being Peter’s father figure put a smile on my face. “You may be his boy, but he was never your daddy,” that lined healed me. Plus his Ravager funeral was a very touching moment, especially with Kraglin’s heartwarming reaction when he sees his fellow ravagers come to the funeral blast their fireworks for him. I teared up a little there. Bradley Cooper turns in another great performance, however his fake laughs were a bit too fake and they got me feeling some sort of uncomfortable way sometimes. Rocket proving himself to be a professional asshole, but in the light of him being a young Yondu, being overly-protective of himself spelled really well through the movie. Perhaps the most adored character in the first movie, Groot shines again and steals the show in his baby form. His childlike wonder is so nice to have, especially in a genre where it’s easy to fall into the trap of melodrama, and taking things too seriously (I’m looking at you DC’s cinematic universe). Baby Groot was unspeakably adorable, but boy am I excited for Angsty-Teen Groot. While there is some cheesy, melodrama in Vol. 2, there was plenty in the first too, it’s always evenly offset by its wittiness, or its outrageousness, and Baby Groot is that refreshing glass of water. With Groot, there’s Drax the Destroyer. The naïve, natural-born killer works against the melodrama as well and it works quite nicely. Although I was disappointed in him in some regards. Is it me, or did he not seem to do much? He only really fought in the beginning sequence but from there on he was just sort of there delivery some funny lines. I didn’t like him just solely there comedy, I wanted Drax to be destroying things as well, and I was let down in that regard. Kurt Russell as Ego was very cool as well. It’s hard to personify a being of that magnitude with such competence. Ego is also, by every meaning of the word, is a cheesy comic creation. I mean he’s a planet with a face. C’mon. But it is used very sparingly and tastefully to where you’re not completely overwhelmed by that cheesy comic book genre stuff. What I did appreciate a lot was that he didn’t feel like generic villain that we’ve seen a dozen times in the Marvel movies. He felt slightly more real, even as a celestial. Overall, each character, even the new ones, like Mantis (who is absolutely adorable, by the way. A little cinnamon roll to perfect for this world, too pure), all got the chance to shine and be fleshed out a bit more, and remain themselves, while also staying fun to watch.

I have to applaud the writers right off the bat. These folk have some balls doing what they did. They knew Guardians 1 had to be big and ridiculous and different to be the success it was, and they knew after that they had to go even bigger, and they did without looking back. It’s very commendable. It’s tough to make a worthy follow up to something that surprised everyone because everyone will naturally be expecting to be surprised by this one too. That’s not fair at all I think, this movie is a great sequel to the original, and is great in its own right. The film is a creation made of pure character. The story follows along the plot it does simply because the characters naturally turned it out. No plot point or happening felt too forced, they organic and that’s important to superhero films. They need to feel inhabited by heroes we can connect to, make them feel real, even when they’re clearly not. James Gunn and team continue to do a wonderful job creating characters and allowing them to be themselves. And I was totally happy with The Sovereign have the bad-guy spotlight for time, as Ego’s plot line built up. I was anxious to see The Living Planet, and I wasn’t disappointed. The film also has some amazing CG work and action sequences, with a bomb soundtrack as well, but that’s to be expected. In addition to its fun, Vol. 2 also has some really dark sequences, with some serious carnage thrown in as well. Some pieces feel overwhelming and have serious repercussions in the universe, some are just flat out morbid; but it works very well with the film, it grounds it I think. With all the weirdness and absurdity that happens with the Guardians, those darker, heavier bits are definitely welcome in my opinion. I’m excited to see the rumors of Adam Warlock be confirmed here. An introduction to the soul stone perhaps? There was no sign of any of the last Infinity Stones in this. Even still, this movie was a whole lot of fun, and there are things here that really get you excited for the future of the MCU when the cosmic parts collide with the Earth-based heroes. It’ll put things into perspective for the Avengers too. It’ll be very affecting to see Tony’s fears in Age of Ultron confirmed, Earth is “hopelessly outgunned”. And with Thor: Ragnarok looking like it’s going to begin building the bridge to the cosmic MCU, we’ll be seeing all these heroes together very soon, and that is very exciting. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 goes big and owns every part of it, without a doubt. I could have done without some of the clichés, as well as some too-cheesy dialogue, Drax just being there for comedic effect, as well as some jokes that carried on for too long, but they don’t hurt the film too much I’d say because they own the rest so damn well. The film is bold, smart, funny, and very heartfelt. My final rating for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is:

8.75/10. Explosive fun.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just awesome. Simple as that. Marvel can do anything that they want.

[furederiko]

♪ I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy. To be calm when you've found something going on. But take your time, think a lot. Why, think of everything you've got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not... ♫ (Cat Stevens - "Father and Son")

NOTE: I've tried to keep this review free of spoilers as best as I can. Nevertheless, it might still contains hints towards one, whether intentionally or not. So please proceed cautiously with that thought in mind.

When the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie was released three years ago (my oh my, how time flew by soooo fast!), it undeniably explored the story of self-proclaimed 'legendary outlaw' Star-Lord, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), and his poignant connection to his late loving mother Meredith (Laura Haddock). A bond so special, that eventually ended up leading him to discover 'a family', in form of his unlikely misfit-friends: assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who is trying to get out of her ruthless Mad Titan Father's shadow; savage slayers Drax (Dave Bautista) who's filled with vengeance for the lost of his wife and daughter; bounty hunter Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), who is a product of illegal animal experimentation; and his companion, the sentient plant Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), who is the last of his kind.

In "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", the time has passed only a mere few months. But although the team is new, they have spent a good amount of time with one another for a while now. After saving the galaxy on Xandar, the Guardians of the Galaxy have become a household name under the protection of the Nova Corps. They've since accepted odd-jobs and the likes from various customer, and gained benefits from them in return. So one could hardly call them a 'mission'. LOL. During a death defying 'job' on the Sovereign, things turned sour between them and the planet's cold arrogant queen, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). An unexpected situation that forced them to be on the run from their fleet. But Peter soon has a bigger but personal thing he needed to solve: the arrival of an unexpected figure from the past. His father, namely Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell), who has returned to Peter's life, alongside his obedient empath-assistant, Mantis (Pom Klementieff).

Yes, as has been widely reported, the movie's theme was about Father and Son. But it went beyond that, because the bigger theme was really about family. Amidst all the irreverent and occasionally rather-raunchy-ish humor, the bright-colored galactic spectacle painted with eye-popping visuals, and the non-stop fun of actions and thrills, the centerpiece of the movie was none other than the characters themself. The various personalities, which we got to know even deeper and personal this time around. So when the first movie ended with the question of "Something good, something bad?"... the answer turned out to be, "A little bit of... personal". And that's where audience's opinions are likely to be divided.

"Vol. 2" was more concerned in focusing on character's story, and the relationships between each Guardians. Which might be the reason why it might not work with everyone. I've read in several outlets, that some, if not many, critics were calling this to be "plotless", or "doesn't feel as fresh as the first". To a certain extent, they did have a point. After all, to each their own, right? With that said, I sincerely think that people who has deep feelings for their family, whether in form of their parents, siblings, child, and others, would be able to relate to this movie a lot better. Why is that? As I said, this sequel focused more on personal character growths and developments. Thus we got to see what made Peter lost in words, what ticked off Gamora, what caused Drax to laugh uncontrollably, the true reason to Rocket's shenanigans, and how Baby Groot managed to steal the scene everytime he showed up. More than that, we got to see another side of Nebula (Karen Gillan), and also Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker) that we haven't seen before. In case you forgot, all of these characters were painted on a broad stroke the last time we saw them. So it's here that we finally got to see their 'true colors'. What their hearts were really whispering beneath those facades of bravado. We didn't even need Mantis help to figure that out.

Problem is, there are people who expected spectacles over feelings, and bigger bombastic action over subtle emotions. Perhaps because they thought drama is dull and boring? Who knows. Perhaps they are surprised when the characters they thought they knew, turns out to be not as good/bad as they might seem? It's a possibility, because accepting facts can be hard. What I'm trying to say is, this approach might not work for everyone. And that's why some people did not, or failed to get the point of the movie. In my personal opinion, it's instead these small heartfelt moments that were exceptionally meaningful in "Vol. 2". They were the ones that really matters, because it's the driving force behind the character's actions. In fact, if you're not at all moved by them and how they've become through the course of this movie, I don't even think I should consider you to be a good person. Then again, is it because these group of audience don't like it when a movie is retelling their own struggle and pain? Too afraid to admit the reality that it's a mirror of what they've been through? Hmmm...

Not saying the movie was perfect. Nope. Nothing is. Back in 2014, I said that one major issue in the first movie was its classic 'Lost in Translation' problem. This time, the sequel repeated itself in that department. A lot of those 80s to early 90s references were lost during my viewing, particularly to the younger audience who I presumed to be millenials. It didn't draw out genuine laughters from the crowd like it's supposed to. I could even properly attest to this, because I went to see it with a nephew (who's finally old enough to see it now), and some of the jokes went pass his head because he just didn't get it. Older audience (like yours truly... *cough cough*) who have been through that period, would easily have a blast, because they would know what the movie was talking about. It was obviously made worse for international audience as well, because their knowledge of the material would be limited at best. For example, our country was lucky enough to have seen "Knight Rider", so all the fun nods towards that action show made a lot of sense. But other bits like "Cheers"? Nope.

While the first movie was compact, swift, and tight, this sequel did drag on a bit during the 2nd arc. As I've pointed out, it focused more on drama, so clearly there'd be more intimate scenes filled with dialogues and exchanges. The kinds that challenged the strength of your heart, and tested your ability to hold back tears. Thus making you lost or distracted in a pool of emotion every now and then. The absence of several characters from the first movie was also felt, but you would discover plenty of other surprising characters in their place. Some looking familiar, some are not... and in a way, this ended up becoming an issue as well. These Marvel-related ones? I believe only those who are familiar enough with the comics would be able to understand. Even the actors who portrayed these amazing cameos, would not be familiar to a younger, modern eye. Last but not least, no matter how you see it, the movie is once again a space opera. Even if it takes more risks and goes even outlandishly geeky than before, those who are already not fond of the genre? I doubt they're going to like it.

If I have to (unfairly) compare it to other Marvel Cinematic Universe sequels, then this ranked slightly above "Avengers: Age of Ultron", but definitely not at the heights of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier". It's indeed the funniest and most hillarious of them all, that's for sure. There were bits that did feel like "Age of Ultron", but I could see how this one would easily work better with audience, particularly general ones. In a way, "Vol 2" was basically the antithesis, the reverse scenario of "Captain America: Civil War". This is a character-driven movie that told a story of a family who became a much stronger unit, which was the exact opposite to what recently happened to the Avengers. Suffice to say, a different metaphor of a dysfunctional family. Which would make it more interesting when the two teams cross each other's path in "Avengers: Infinity War" next year.

When it comes to Marvel Studios movies, I don't think I can stop talking about it. So I need to exercise self-restraint, otherwise I might end up spoiling all the juicy details. With that said, I'm going to wrap off this review now. To be honest, I had a hard time wrapping my head around this movie the seconds I've finished seeing it, because it's... tough to put it into words. But afterwards, as I spent the time deep in thoughts, understanding about the core message of it all, I finally saw the light (literally too, because it was raining when we got out, so the sun was out! LOL). Yes, the movie had great action scenes that would thrill and entertain every audience young and old. Yes, it was colorful, whether in visual or comedy, with the risk of getting your face all exhausted due to changing expressions too much. But I won't get tired of repeating this over and over again: it's the roller coaster layers of emotions that truly counts. It's the character moments that would no doubt make you relate and connect to them, and probably react in a deeper personal manner. The exact element of 'sorcery' that Marvel Studios have been using to wow us all these years. The sequel is a great continuation that will let you know closer of these a-holes, as many of the questions left hanging in the first movie will be answered, probably in a surprising way too. If I can quote a particular sentence from a wonderfully-written review, "It's everything you want, but not what you expect".

This movie arrived 10 years after my Dad departed to the other side. Is that a coincidence? It might be so, but I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason, so I can almost see it as fate. Similar to Ego's situation with Peter, my Dad could be considered a workaholic, more occupied with work than his sons. Thus I'd always wished to spend more time with him. Which was why "Vol 2" hit me pretty hard, and felt undeniably very personal to me. As soon as I arrived home from the theatre, I asked my mom about a certain steel wristwatch. It was the one my Dad gave me when I was much younger, the one I would proudly wore everywhere I go. Mom kept this item all these years, eventhough it has stopped working for such a long time. I never did change the battery, because I've migrated to a new one, the one I bought with my own money back then. A proof of growing up, one might say. But now that I have it in my hand again, I'm going to make it work once more. And I'm going to proudly wear it again, because it's a symbol of a father's love for me. It's one of the simple things that reminded me, that despite his limited time with me, my Dad was there for me, and I was loved. James Gunn, Marvel Studios, and their small movie called "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has helped reminded me about this crucial but forgotten fact. To rekindle myself with the respect and love to my Dad, because I would never come this far without the warmth of his presence. For that, I give them my deepest gratitude. With a sincere hope, that we will be treated with another emotional journey, when "Vol. 3" arrives a few years from now...

Overall Score: 8,3 out of 10 PS: True to Gunn's own word, there are FIVE mid/post credit scenes in this movie. Don't worry though, eventhough most are included just for fun, they are effectively placed so that staying through the end credit is actually FUN. Nope, I'm not kidding. I think this was the first time ever in the MCU, I've experienced that. There's one particular that would get you really excited for "Vol. 3". Also, you can even spot three special cameos during the roll! One from this movie, one from the first movie, and one from... upcoming Marvel Studios movie. Don't miss them out!