Cinema and Popcorn

A lot has changed since my first round of predictions for the Academy Awards 2018 nominees for Best Actor. While I can say none of my previous top contenders is out of the Oscar race, there are some considerable changes. For example, Andrew Garfield Oscar chances for Breathe got extremely slim, since most people overlooked the whole movie and went crazy for Jake Gyllenhaal (who stars the disability drama Stronger ). And then we have the duo Steve Carell & Bryan Cranston ( Last Flag Flying ), with Carell assuming the "leading role" status and Cranston going supporting... And Tom Hanks seems to be losing territory since it was announced Steven Spielberg 's The Post truly belongs to Meryl Streep . So, let's have a look at my predictions: So, I'm predicting 1 previous Academy Award winner ( Daniel Day-Lewis , Phantom Thread ), 2 Academy Award nominees ( Jake Gyllenhaal for Stronger and Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour ), a newcomer ( ...

Well, last time I presented you my Academy Awards 2018 nominees predictions for Best Supporting Actress things seemed pretty sure, but as you know, things change a lot after Fall film festivals and Fall movie releases...! So, let's start with Claire Foy for Breathe (my #6 in my last predictions) who lost all the Oscar buzz around her simply because the movie was a deception for the AMPAS standards... and the same can be said about Juno Temple in Wonder Wheel - the movie's heart and soul is Kate Winslet alone (and the cinematography work). And then there are some fresh contenders who became instant Oscar frontrunners! Now, it's time to update my predictions. Here they are: Well, it seems it's all about "playing a mother", this year. If you exclude Brooklyn Prince ( The Florida Project ), you have Allison Janney ( I, Tonya ), Holly Hunter ( The Big Sick ), Mary J. Blidge ( Mudbound ) and Laurie Metcalf ( Lady Bird ) all playin...

Well, last time I presented you my Academy Awards 2018 nominees predictions for Best Actress it was August... and a lot has changed during September and October! For example: Judi Dench delivers a great performance in Victoria & Abdul , but the movie didn't do well between critics; Annette Bening got rave reviews for her turn as Gloria Grahame in the well-received Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool , but for some reason the Oscar buzz has faded with no reason; and Glenn Close 's The Wife got a 2018 release and she won't compete this year! And a lot of actresses scored high...  Now, it's time to update my predictions. Here they are: So, we have Jessica Chastain ( Molly's Game ), Sally Hawkins ( The Shape of Water ), Frances McDormand ( Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ), Meryl Streep ( The Post ) and Vicky Krieps ( The Phantom Thread )... but in spite of feeling confident about my bets, there are other contender I hav...

Directors: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman Writers: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman  Starring: Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Robert Gulaczyk and Saoirse Ronan A movie "too beautiful for its own good", Loving Vincent might have some narrative issues, but it sure shines bright thanks to the beautiful 65.000 oil painted frames, the voice actors and the music score. Visually, it's a feast to the eyes! Emotionally, it resonates. This movie about the story of life and artwork of Vincent van Gogh is just "remarkable". Academy Awards 2017 playing categories: Best Picture Best Animated Feature Best Original Score Best Original Song (" Starry Starry Night ")

Florence Pugh in Lady Macbeth Based on the novel " Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" by Nikolai Leskov, 2017's Lady Macbeth features incredible central breakthrough performance from the young Florence Pugh. She plays Katherine, a young woman living a loveless marriage who begins an affair with a man who works on the land... and the final result is simply mesmerizing! In her second feature film (the first was 2014's The Falling ), Miss Pugh emerges as a true cinematic magnet and as a one to watch of the new generation. And I'm confident enough to say she will make an impression during award season thanks to Lady Macbeth (I wouldn't overlook her Oscar chances in this year's race, people!). Nuno Lopes in São Jorge ( Saint George ) Do you remember a small Portuguese movie titled Alice ? Marco Martins directed that one and it starred Nuno Lopes. The same director&actor duo brings São Jorge ( Saint George ), a hit of 2016's editi...

Well, the Oscar race 2018 has just begun and guess what? I decided to list the best 50 acting performances that ended up snubed by the AMPAS. Sometimes delivering a great performance isn't enough for Oscar voters... You need a good "Oscary" movie, an Oscar campaign and a lot of support from precursor awards so you can have enough visibility... And there are times an Oscar nomination doesn't happen and you just don't know why! (Well, there are more competitive years than others, for sure, but let's not forget those overrated performances!). These acting performances are true acting gems that didn't win a spot between the Oscar nominees shortlists neither in my top 50, so let's call them my 7 honorable mentions: Gene Hackman - The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Carmen Maura - Volver (2006) Tom Hardy - Bronson (2008) Abbie Cornish - Bright Star (2009) Adepero Oduye  - Pariah   (2011) Nicole Kidman - The Paperboy (2012) Annette Bening - 20th ...