Cinema and Popcorn

Happy New Year, Everybody! My 12 cinematic wishes for 2014: " I wish... " 1. Scarlett Johansson gets her first Oscar nomination for her voice-only performance in Spike Jonze's Her ;   2. Twelve Years a Slave takes home the Academy Award for Best Picture;   3. Sundance Film Festival 2014 features some independent filmmaking gems;   4. Woody Allen announces his 2015 movie will be a family-drama and casts a big couple of actresses I have in mind (what about a muse reunion + Cate Blanchett?) ;   5.   Christopher Nolan's Interstellar becomes a critical and box-office success;   6. people stop loving Jennifer Lawrence in such a crazy and irrational way (I like her a lot as an actress, she's one of the best by far, but if all this madness is making me start getting tired of her);   7. some Hollywood producer/director announces a big musical movie is going to be made (I kinda miss all the enthusiasm around an upcoming musical, the buzz,

1. Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity Born:  November 28, 1961 - Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Previous Oscar recognition in directing: none Oscar snubed directing work(s): 2006 - Children of Men COMMENT : Gravity is an epic spacial marvel and it is going to make an impression by taking a big amount of Oscar nominations in the technical categories and since it is under heavy Best Picture buzz, then Cuarón's great work in the director's chair is likely to nab an Oscar nomination in the Best Director field. With a big couple of critics associations prizes, Golden Globe and Critics' Choice awards nominations, we only have to wait for DGA nominations, but I believe he has a nom guaranteed and an Oscar nod waiting for him (but I should to be more cautious, because last year's Oscar snubs in Best Director were shocking, totally against most predictions). More than a great movie, Gravity is a huge showcase for its director. 2. Steve McQueen for 12 Years a

1. Twelve Years a Slave " The genius of “12 Years a Slave” is its insistence on banal evil, and on terror, that seeped into souls, bound bodies and reaped an enduring, terrible price. " by Manohla Dargis in New York Times 2. Her " Filmed with a bright crispness that speaks of a nostalgia for the future, “Her” is a touching, buoyant pleasure. " by Moira MacDonald in Seattle Times 3. Short Term 12 " Although some of the kids in this film are going through some serious … stuff (as are some of the young adults counseling them) and there are some deeply intense passages, “Short Term 12” is also slyly funny, graceful, tender and peppered with moments of small joy. " by Richard Roeper in Chicago Sun-Times 4. Wadjda " Not only is this a deftly crafted and superbly acted film, but Wadjda sheds a powerful light on what women face, starting in childhood, in an oppressive regime. "

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 1. Her - Spike Jonze   2. American Hustle - Eric Singer and David O. Russell   3. Inside Llewyn Davis - Ethan Coen and Joel Coen   4. Nebraska - Bob Nelson   5. Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen 6. Dallas Buyers Club - Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack 7. Fruitvale Station - Ryan Coogler 8. Enough Said - Nicole Holocefner 9. Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 1. 12 Years a Slave - John Ridley , based on the book " Twelve Years a Slave " by Solomon Northup   2. Before Midnight - Richard Linklater , Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke , based on the movies " Before Sunrise " and " Before Sunset "   3. The Wolf of Wall Street - Terence Winter , based on the book of the same name by Jordan Belfort   4. Philomena - Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope , based on the book " The Lost Child of Philomena Lee " by Martin Sixsmith    5. Captain Ph

[neither understands the other's language]   Jamie: [in English] It's my favorite time of day, driving you.   Aurelia: [in Portuguese] It's the saddest part of my day, leaving you.

1. Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave Born:  July 10, 1977 - Forest Gate, London, England, UK Previous Oscar recognition in acting: none Oscar snubed performance(s): none COMMENT : A great actor who was expecting for his big break, I was afraid Ejiofor could become another Michael Fassbender by missing Oscar recognition, but it seems 12 Years a Slave will get huge support from the AMPAS (unlike Hunger or Shame ) and this acting talent is likely to get nominated in the Best Actor category. He's the big star and the emotional center of 12 Years a Slave , delivering a powerful and extremely sympathetic performance the Globes, SAG Awards and Critics' Choice Awards nominated and a huge amount of critics associations awarded. The buzz around 12 Years is massive and Ejiofor is likely to become the first actor to get nominated for Best Actor for a performance in a Steve McQueen movie and maybe the first one to take a golden man home. 2. Matthew McConaughey for Dall

1. Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club Born:  December 26, 1971 - Bossier City, Louisiana, USA Previous Oscar recognition in acting: none Oscar snubed performance(s): 2000 - Requiem for a Dream COMMENT : I'm very proud for being prediting Jared Leto in this category since my first predictions and now he's the clear frontrunner of the Best Supporting Actor race, collecting all kinds of critics associations awards and getting nominated for Globes, SAG and Critics' Choice Awards (being the favorite to take home all these ones too). The raves he got, alongside with the visibility Matthew McConaughey brought to the movie and precursor awards will take Leto to the Oscar nominees shortlist, for sure. He was great in Girl, Interrupted (1999), Requiem for a Dream (2000) or  Mr. Nobody (2009/2012), but awards didn't pay much attention to him... Dallas Buyers Club is giving him gold and giving Leto permission to dream about an Oscar win (but he has Fassbender on his w

BEST PICTURE American Hustle Captain Phillips Dallas Buyers Club Gravity Her Inside Llewyn Davis Nebraska Saving Mr. Banks 12 Years a Slave The Wolf of Wall Street BEST ACTOR Christian Bale for American Hustle Bruce Dern  for Nebraska Chiwetel Ejiofor  for 12 Years a Slave Tom Hanks  for Captain Phillips Matthew McConaughey  for Dallas Buyers Club Robert Redford  for All Is Lost BEST ACTRESS Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine Sandra Bullock for Gravity Judi Dench for Philomena Brie Larson for Short Term 12 Meryl Streep for August: Osage County Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips Daniel Bruhl for Rush Bradley Cooper for American Hustle Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave James Gandolfini for Enough Said Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Scarlett Johansson for Her Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave Julia