1. Sundance falls in love for Hushpuppy
Beasts of the Southern Wild was received with raves and some tears in Sundance Film Festival and it is one of the best-reviewed movies of the year, so far. With a 27 June release, it promises to enchant some viewers and to be a major player in the awards circuit (specially in the "indie world"). Everybody loves tragedy, hope and childhood and Beasts promises having it all to offer. Introducing Quvenzhané Wallis (and a big couple of first-time actors), I hope being able to see her performance described as a "miniature force of nature" as soon as possible, because the trailer just sold me a ticket!
2. The Avengers is a critical and commercial "Marvel"
Having Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Loki and... Samuel L. Jackson in the same scenes sounded like "it will be a mess!", but The Avengers surprised comic-book fans, non-fans and critics and became the highest-grossing movie of the year (so far) and the third one in history. The way characters interact and the action scenes, just make the movie you give for the ticket all worth it! Thank you for writing and directing The Avengers, Joss Whedon, you're a genius!
3. Marion Cotillard seduces Cannes
In Cannes, a lot of eyes were excited to see Jacques Audiard's The Prophet follow-up: De rouille et d'os (Rust & Bone). Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead) got a lot of critical praise, but it was Marion Cotillard who got all the crazy love from critics by portraying a woman who suffers a brutal accident and must start living a conditioned live while she finds love. There are already strong Oscar buzz around her performance, but we can't forget how people were crazy about Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia and she got snubed. No matter what, Cotillard has one of the best post-Oscar wins careers and she's simply one of the best actresses working today... and one of the most striking beauties too!
4. The Hunger Games: the world is watching
Such a compelling and emotionally vibrant movie, The Hunger Games was expected to do well in the box-office, but I think no one was expecting it could become the first big box-office success of the year (403$M only in USA), a critically loved thing and the first released movie getting some Oscar buzz in the Best Picture and Best Actress fields. In fact, it benefits from its cast members, who elevate the movie to the next level, specially Jennifer Lawrence, who seems to become a great, young and beautiful movie star. The world keeps watching and it keeps fresh and raw in our memories: such a satisfying movie experience.
5. Wes Anderson celebrates childhood and young love
Moonrise Kingdom, the critical sensation that opened this year's edition of Cannes Film Festival, directed by the always vibrant Wes Anderson and starred by a whole star constellation and two big-screen debuts that enchanted critics and audiences... Anderson celebrates the young, naïve and simple love with his latest project and, for some reason, people are going to theatres to see it - earning $130,752 per screen at four locations in Los Angeles and New York, setting the per-screen-average box office record. Last year, movies like Midnight In Paris and The Tree of Life also did very-well commercially in their limited releases - it's good to see audiences recognizing the quality of small indie productions.
6. Les Misérables movie trailer
Simply tragic, simply beautiful... Hathaway's voice sounds like an angel without hope and the whole trailer is award-worthy. I'm amazed by how high Les Misérables trailer set the bar high for itself. A brilliant cast composed by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen, plus Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) in the director's chair: I'm simply excited for this adaptation of one of the most successful musicals ever and I believe I'm not alone... not at all, for sure!
7. Michael Fassbender shines bright in Prometheus
And Michael Fassbender keeps surprising... Damn, I think I wanna be him as an actor!... After his astonishing turns in Hunger, Fish Tank or last year's Shame (such an atrocious Oscar snub!), this actor added another shinning acting performance to his curriculum vitae: David in Ridley Scott's Prometheus. Critics loved his performance, audiences simply love him and I love the kind of actor he's becoming. Some critics claimed his performance may "launch Prometheus into the cult stratosphere" and, let's be honest, he delivered the first great male performance of the year!
8. How incredibly beautiful Joe Wright's Anna Karenina looks
Simply beautiful! Joe Wright directed another period drama and let me say that it looks incredible, according to the movie trailer. The sets, the costumes and I would say "the way he makes the whole movie happening in a stage" (???)... Plus, the score sounds great, congratulations Mr. Dario Marianelli! Keira Knightley seems to be the only actress available to take the lead role in a period piece, but her previous collaborations with Wright were award-worthy and her portray of Anna Karenina seems believable. But once again: how beautiful it looks on the trailer!
9. Michelle Pfeiffer stills alive and she's great in People Like Us
Well, one of the greatest cinema godnesses just decided to scream the world she stills here: Michelle Pfeiffer starred Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and the Summer drama People Like Us and people are talking about her again. Last year, she was part of the atrocious New Year's Eve, so let's pretend it never existed and that Pfeiffer has been away from theatres since 2009's Chéri. Her performance as Lillian in People Like Us is generating some Oscar buzz, not because her work in the movie is something from another world, but because she's one of the few aspects of a almost forgettable movie that keeps in our minds. Let's be honest, people want to see her in the pursuit for another Oscar nomination and for her first Oscar win (but I smell it won't happen due to People Like Us)!
10. Quentin Tarantino directs a western to be released in Christmas
It's another revenge tale with the signature of Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jonah Hill and Kerry Washington... and it is a western! What else to say? I simply won't miss Django Unchained...
Comments