Being a Feminist is Hard, and Other Thoughts from a Filmic Female Dreamer

Prepare for a post full of paradoxes. About time I gave meaning to the shitty, nonsensical title I gave this blog when I was 14 and impaired by my Inception obsession.

I swore I would never write a big post on the state of feminism/females in the film industry. But after Ryan, who will forever be the rabbit I chase (not insinuating you are a rabbit, Ryan, but you get the metaphor I'm heading for here), posted a piece on Lena Dunham not pushing her case for females being given opportunities in the whole entertainment industry hard enough, I chimed in on the comments section. And hey, in the two hours of lectures that came after that comment, I decided I want to make a post on this ongoing saga.

I've never seen anything Lena Dunham has done apart from This is 40. Girls has been on my watchlist but considering I still haven't seen Game of Thrones season three, I don't think I'll be getting around to it any time soon. So really, I can't judge her standings on anything, but she did raise some valid points at SXSW where she noted that Adam Driver is getting some great role offers, yet the central female cast are not. Ryan said that Lena should aspire to write about more females rather than the ones she knows of. Fair points all round.

This is where I stand on feminism. You probably know by now that I want to be a filmmaker. It's leaning more towards writing screenplays because I want to write about females. The reason that I want to be a filmmaker stems back to the literal moment that Kathryn Bigelow won an Oscar for Best Director in 2010 (though she did win for a largely "male" film, which critics are quick to point out, but AT LEAST IT HAPPENED). Late last year, likely due to procrastination, I found myself reading Indiewire religiously, especially the Women in Hollywood/other pieces on women. Anything else I could find on the internet about this topic, I would read. I still do it. However, as this is inspiring and fuels my aspirations more, it's also poisonous.

2013 was the Year of...

2013 was a pretty big year. Perhaps not in my film watching (which will be shown in my unofficial Top 15 that'll be posted up tomorrow morning), but there were plenty of things that I loved about this crazy year. So here's a big gigantic mess of the things that made 2013 what it was for me, some of which are movie related, most of which is culture related, and just the general happenings of 2013 that will remain landmarks for the year. Kinda like flipping through the back pages of my diary. But more interesting than my diary would be if I actually had time to keep one.

The Actors 

Daniel Day-Lewis
Yup, this was definitely my biggest actor obsession of the year. Spurred off by my drama class doing The Crucible, and then turning into this big thing where all I'd do with my spare time is watch his Oscar acceptance speeches over and over (I haven't watched one in about three weeks - have I been rehabilitated?). All other spare time was taken up by watching all of his movies. Which brought me to the lovely My Beautiful Laundrette, the awe-inspiring My Left Foot, the rather restrained The Age of Innocence, the amazing In the Name of the Father, of course The Crucible, the gutsy The Boxer, the violent Gangs of New York, the heartbreaking The Ballad of Jack and Rose, a rewatch of There Will Be Blood which boosted my love for the film, a rewatch of Nine which dragged down my supposed love for that film, and a couple of watches of Lincoln which just exemplifies how Daniel has mastered his craft. I wish I had at least 40% of his commitment.

Bradley Cooper
This has been a banner year for Bradley Cooper, an actor who I've long been in love with since The Hangover back in 2009. Along comes Silver Linings Playbook, which shows what I've long known: Bradley Cooper is one talented actor who is more than just the "eye candy" status that the woman's magazines like to lay on him. The Place Beyond the Pines gave him another chance to show how talented he is, and I hear that he's one of the best things about American Hustle. Hopefully The Hangover has been long left behind, and it is only up from here.

Super Late 2012 Retrospective: My Top 20 of 2012

So, I can finally put 2012 out of my mind now that I've made this extra long list. I won't deliberate much longer, but I will say that this'll be the last time you'll hear from me for a while...I'm still extremely busy! Until then, don't forget about me, and be thankful I managed to do this list before 2013 was over too. Ha. (by the way, top of 2013 so far is Before Midnight, followed by The Great Gatsby, The Place Beyond the Pines, Side Effects and Spring Breakers. Let's see how they stand this time next year)

Honourable mentions: The Intouchables, The Impossible, Life of Pi, The Raid: Redemption, Compliance, Les Miserables, Lincoln, Skyfall, Flight, Vamps, Cloud Atlas, Dredd, Bachelorette, Pitch Perfect, Safety Not Guaranteed, The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods, The Grey, Chronicle.

20. Celeste & Jesse Forever (Dir. Lee Toland Krieger)
I don't know why, but I find Rashida Jones absolutely fascinating. She seems like the kind of girl who anyone could get along with, since she's so smart, funny, and endlessly charming. So when I heard that a film that she wrote herself was going to make it to the big screen, I was pretty darn excited. And guess what three words describe the outcome? Smart, funny and charming. It may not turn around the rom-com genre as some were hoping (and come on, we should stop wishing for this to happen, two people will end up being together or they won't), but it gave it a damn good try.

19. Anna Karenina (Dir. Joe Wright)
Maybe I just kinda romanticise this movie a little bit because it was the last movie I watched before Stage Challenge happened (I have a habit of romanticising this time of my life and I don't know why), and maybe it lost its shine when I had to study it for an English assessment, but there's one thing that I absolutely love about Anna Karenina that earns it its spot here: Joe Wright's ambitious direction. The fact that this film moves along like a musical even if there's no real singing, the way that big theatre is set up, the way that everything looks...it is decadent and glorious to watch. Plus, I'd like to see Alicia Vikander get more roles. Her and Jessica Chastain are pretty much going to tear down Hollywood within the next few years.

18. The Master (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
I understood most of it. I'd have to watch it again in the very distant future for it to have an effect on me, but I appreciated what Paul Thomas Anderson was trying to do. This film feels like it exists on a different planet, so far away from any of the other films of 2012. It is fearless, disconcerting and so complex. Along with that, you have Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams honing in some of the best performances of their careers - that's a term that's thrown around lightly, but considering their almost perfect filmographies, that's a considerable achievement.

17. Your Sister's Sister (Dir. Lynn Shelton)
The way this film ticks over, without any real hurry, just at a natural pace, is what I loved most about Your Sister's Sister. It was just a really nice movie, where people weren't going out of their way to make any drama, it just happened. I admire filmmakers who can make their movies without feeling like they have to place all the action on a highwire, instead letting everything fall into place. Your Sister's Sister is a stunning example of that.

16. The Most Fun You Can Have Dying (Dir. Kristin Marcon)
I'm actually rather surprised that a NZ film made it onto my list this year, but ever since I saw The Most Fun You Can Have Dying over a year ago, I haven't been able to shake it. It isn't perfect, but it is made beautifully, without the usual essence of NZ filmmakers trying way too hard to be schizophrenically strange (An Angel at My Table and Heavenly Creatures are the guilty parties and it would seem that most NZ filmmakers have tried to follow in their footsteps). The Most Fun You Can Have Dying is mature, gorgeously shot and features a wonderful performance by Matt Whelan. Hopefully it makes it to some international markets, because this is finally a film that NZ can be proud of.

15. Coriolanus (Dir. Ralph Fiennes)
I studied this one for my English project as well, and I was surprised at how good of an adaptation this one is, and how underrated it is. Ralph Fiennes' top directorial debut seemed to come and go without much notice, even though it brought a severely underrated Shakespeare tale to life with some shocking relevance to the world we live in 400 years on. It's a little bit like The Hurt Locker with Shakespearean language. Plus, extra points for slipping a luminous Jessica Chastain in their to be my favourite actor's wife. Worth the price of the ticket for that alone (at least for me, anyway).

14. Smashed (Dir. James Ponsoldt)
For a film about addiction, this film is rather level-headed. There's no big teary monologues, no over-reaching for drama, no-one treating their addiction as if it had the same levity as an impending apocalypse. Instead, it feels like a page was ripped out of the diary of someone who actually experienced alcoholism, and what they did to try and prevent it from taking over their life. Part of the way helped by a towering performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and apt support from Aaron Paul and Octavia Spencer, Smashed takes the melodrama out and replaces it with naturalism, which is just about the most disconcerting thing you can do when trying to tell a story like this one.

13. Argo (Dir. Ben Affleck)
Argo is a stunningly made, stunningly thrilling film, and I think it is extremely apt that this film was chosen to represent the best of the 2012 film year. Ben Affleck has a true talent for creating tension, and also creating an atmosphere that's true to the period the film is set in. There's something so perfect about the way this film is made, from the editing to the general look of the film. Plus, it puts actual meaning into being an "edge of your seat thriller". To be honest, I couldn't really care less about the apparent omission of New Zealand's part in this story, on account that this is an extremely good film.

12. Amour (Dir. Michael Haneke)
I'd probably never revisit this film ever again because it left me a bit paralysed with unhappiness, but there's no denying that this is a uniquely devastating piece of cinema. It was hard to view it with an objective eye since I watched it a little too close to my own Grandmother's death, yet I think there's still a little bit of scar tissue from this movie. It is probably one of the more different, yet extremely depressing portrayals of love on screen - is this what the critics wanted when they asked for a better romantic genre? Who knows, but Michael Haneke sure has a knack for making you feel a little beyond sad.

11. Bernie (Dir. Richard Linklater)
I still can't even get over the fact that Bernie is a true story, nor can I get over how perfect Richard Linklater is as a filmmaker. This film treads a very fine line between telling a story through fiction and non-fiction, mixing both elements so well that you can't really tell if what you're seeing is true or just made up. Jack Black's central performance is a triumph, along with great support from Shirley Maclaine and the ever-amazing Matthew McConaughey. Let's just say that this is a minor triumph and Richard Linklater's excellent filmography - one filmography that is probably one of the more diverse and consistently great filmographies out there.

10. End of Watch (Dir. David Ayer)
There was nothing worse than feeling deflated and tired because I'm on a flight back from having the time of my life in Japan, and I decide to watch End of Watch at probably around 1am. I thought it would be an average cop movie. Turns out by the end I was curled up on my seat, feeling disgusting and crying my eyes out because this film was far from an average cop movie. Sure, the 'found footage' aspect was a bit distracting, but the film itself was an excellent character study. There's just so much about this film that works, even when it shouldn't.

9. Brave (Dir. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman)
The other day I had a bit of a mental breakdown when I was talking to someone in my class about how much we loved this film. Lesser Pixar? I think not. I think it carries one of the most valuable messages out of all the Pixar films, both with loving your mother and also being your own hero. Can we just take a moment to appreciate what a great role model Merida is? Sure, she makes a mistake, but at least we take the time to watch her learn from that mistake, and be a total badass while she does it. I kinda want to be her. Which is part of the reason I put two cans of red hairspray in my hair and walked down the street on a hot summer's day wearing a heavy velvet dress for the Christmas Parade. Time of my life.

8. 21 Jump Street (Dir. Phil Lord and Chris Miller)
I saw this film more than any other film last year. After the shittiest mcshitfest day of school this year, I watched this to cheer me up. If I'm every feeling slightly down, this movie finds itself in my DVD player. I just think it is the funniest movie to come out in years. Which is why it is, in all of its R-rated silly comedy glory, in my top ten for the year. Ja feel? Ja definitely feel.

7. Looper (Dir. Rian Johnson)
There's something about Looper which is endlessly fascinating to me: it is such a realistic view of the future. It is kind of like an anti-blockbuster. It has all of the blockbuster trimmings, but it presents them in such an indie kind of way, which is so strange. It is inventive and dazzlingly complex, offering far more than one could expect from the trailers. Please, Rian Johnson, keep re-inventing the wheel like you did here.

6. Django Unchained (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
I remember watching this film for the first time in the cinemas: I was so excited because it was the first Tarantino film I was old enough to see in cinemas, and I had the time of my life. During the baghead scene, I was literally just about rolling around on the floor laughing. During the scene where my beloved Leonardo DiCaprio cuts his hand, I was watching it through my fingers. And while it was a few too many scenes and one Quentin Tarantino trying his best with an Australian accent too long, Django Unchained was just damn entertaining. Plus, Dr. King Schultz is my spirit animal. That is all.

5. Silver Linings Playbook (Dir. David O. Russell)
This is a movie that has grown on me a lot since I first saw it at the beginning of the year. I think my 'meh' reaction to it when I first saw it was a) I was getting annoyed with all of the Jennifer Lawrence buzz (and I'm still not happy about that, but I'm over it) and b) I couldn't wait for the movie to be over because I thought it was a great idea to drink a ginormous cup of Pepsi and...yeah. However, circumstances changed, and literally at any point of my life right now, I could watch this film and it would make me happier. Every time I'm at work, I always stare at the case longingly and think about how much I'd like to see it again, but I've managed to keep it down to three watches. Dear friends: please get me this for my birthday so I can stop staring at it longingly. Its getting to be a bit of a problem.

4. Killer Joe (Dir. William Friedkin)
For a movie that I hold in such high regard, Killer Joe is not a film that I'd ever profusely recommend to anyone. Unless, of course, I was going on about how perfect Matthew McConaughey's acting skills are in this film. This movie is vulgar and nasty, but somehow I managed to love it. I don't know how, but that's how we have it. I haven't mustered up the courage to rewatch it (even though I bought it around four months ago), so maybe I'll save that up for when I'm actually 18 and see if my official maturity makes me any less sensitive to this crazy film.

3. Zero Dark Thirty (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
The next three are pretty much all my number ones, but after much deliberation I managed to pry them apart and rank them. Zero Dark Thirty is my first number one for two reasons: a) Kathryn Bigelow is my idol and I want to be her, and b) I am Maya. Which is kind of scary, but I can definitely say there's no movie character I've ever been so connected to, ever. This film is so meticulously put together and plays it straight, to the degree that it almost doesn't even seem like a film. And it is so damn near perfection it kinda hurts. Jessica Chastain is wonderful. Jason Clarke, Mark Strong, Jennifer Ehle, James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton, Mark Duplass...everyone in that film, they're all wonderful. Again, friends: I need this film for my birthday so I can stop staring at it longingly while I'm at work.

2. The Dark Knight Rises (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
I know, you're all probably freaking out because this is not number one. It is one of my number ones, but just not the top ranked. I don't love it any less than I did when I first saw it on July 19th and bawled my eyes out more than a normal person should be allowed to in a public place. Every time I think about it, I want to cry. No, it is nowhere near as good as The Dark Knight. But I love every minute of those 2 hours and 45 minutes (even though I get extremely annoyed whenever Marion Cotillard turns up). Christopher Nolan is still God. It still has some of the most potent imagery of 2012. 'Why Do We Fall?' and 'Rise' are still my number one let's get hyped/let's get overly emotional songs. I just love this film, despite all the backlash. Oh and by the way, I've already mentally booked my tickets/sanity for when Interstellar comes out next year.

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Dir. Stephen Chbosky)
So this is my number one. Why? It is perfect. When I read the book last year, it kinda changed my life. And then the movie came along and it broke my heart into a million pieces but somehow put it back together again. I really doubt that a movie that is so perfect in its portrayal of teen life will ever come around again, so I'm glad that it happened while I was a teenager (mind you, everyone from the 80's probably thinks that about The Breakfast Club). Future kids: you'll be watching this the day you turn into a teenager. By which point I'll hopefully be married to either Logan Lerman or Ezra Miller. Hopefully.

What do you think of this list? What were your favourite films of 2012?

AAN: Oscar Predictions - Acting and Best Picture

Welcome to the final part of my official Oscar predictions, the big one that this 2013 series of Annual Awards Nerdism has come down to. Tonight, I'll be looking at the Acting and Best Picture awards, complete with poetry. Enjoy!
PAST PREDICTIONS: Sound and Design, 'Bests' and Visuals, Writing and Directing

Just in case you need a refresher on the rankings:
Sparkling Silva - Who I want to win.
'Overjoyed' David - Who will win.
Loopy Looper - Who definitely won't win.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook / Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln / Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables / Joaquin Phoenix in The Master / Denzel Washington in Flight

There's no way this category can possibly surprise,
Daniel Day-Lewis is the winner in everyone's eyes,
Hugh Jackman may have been the perfect Jean Valjean,
Joaquin Phoenix may think that awards are wrong,
Bradley Cooper did everything right,
Denzel probably won't win for Flight,
But there's simply nothing they can do,
Day-Lewis will be adding another Oscar to his two,
For he is pretty much Abraham Lincoln,
And a surprise win would be wishful thinkin'.

I would love for Daniel Day-Lewis to not win for this one (although I haven't seen Lincoln still so I can't judge), but that's not going to happen. There's a sliver of hope for Bradley Cooper if he were to ride on the Silver Linings Playbook wave, even though he lost the Spirit award today. He's still the best thing about that movie. By far. I'm more on Team Jackman, though.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty / Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook / Emmanuelle Riva in Amour / Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild / Naomi Watts in The Impossible

This category caters for the young and old,
But it is pretty hard to tell who'll take the gold,
Naomi Watts brings up the rear,
Quvenzhane Wallis is the spoiler to fear,
Jennifer Lawrence has won most of the awards,
But Jessica Chastain has won lots on her own accord,
While it is very much a race between these two,
Picking Riva seems like the thing to do,
Since all of the others have many chances left,
Riva should win for her beautiful portrayal of death.

This is a very difficult category because there are likely winners coming from every corner. Jennifer Lawrence supposedly has the award locked up but I don't want to believe it since I'm not the hugest fan of her performance in Silver Linings Playbook and she just doesn't seem like a clear winner. Jessica Chastain is supposedly her arch-nemesis in this race and she looks like a better winner, especially because she won just about every critics award (but that didn't mean too much for Kathryn Bigelow). However, as much as I love J-Chas, I can't see her winning just yet. I do, however, envision Emmanuelle Riva winning, which may seem like a longshot to some but again, I'm not dismissing this whole Amour takeover. Let's be honest here - Riva is by far the most deserving. I'll probably end up being wrong, but I'm not sold in Jennifer Lawrence winning tomorrow.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin in Argo / Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook / Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master / Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln / Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained

How to pick a winner when they've all won before?
And there aren't even any surprise awards to go to Amour,
Long ago this was Leo DiCaprio's to win,
But his spot was taken by Alan Arkin,
There won't be an acting award for Argo,
But there might be one for Robert De Niro,
His gold lining will make it three,
Though he could be beaten by Tommy Lee,
This would only make Jones sad of course,
But Philip Seymour Hoffman is the dark horse,
I think they'll go for Christoph Waltz again,
For being Django's bounty hunter friend,
Hopefully he has the award within his reach,
Because all I want is another Waltz acceptance speech.

I'm going to put my money (lol, wut money) where my mouth is and wager that Christoph Waltz will take the award. I mean, he's taken the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, and the only reason he didn't get the SAG was because he wasn't nominated - thanks to the down-to-the-wire release date for Django Unchained. So he's looking like the best prospect out of a wide open field. However, I can see Tommy Lee Jones taking it away because he just seems like the kind of performer the Academy would go for. I have heard whispers about De Niro and Hoffman being possible winners, and I definitely wouldn't dismiss them. The only person I would dismiss is Alan Arkin. I could be wrong about that, though.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in The Master / Sally Field in Lincoln / Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables / Helen Hunt in The Sessions / Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook

I don't really need to put this into a rhyme,
Anne Hathaway has won every time,
And certainly nothing will change,
There's no one close in range,
This isn't Amy Adams' year,
Jacki Weaver's presence leaves nothing to fear,
They certainly won't go for Helen Hunt,
Sally Field seems like an unlikely punt,
While Hugh Jackman won't win his,
Anne Hathaway will fly the flag for Les Mis.

LOL to anyone who thinks that Anne Hathaway won't win. And LOL to anyone who thinks she doesn't deserve it.

Best Motion Picture of the Year 

Amour / Argo / Beasts of the Southern Wild / Django Unchained / Les Miserables / Life of Pi / Lincoln / Silver Linings Playbook / Zero Dark Thirty

Here we are, the Best Picture of the Year,
It seems that Argo will get the most cheers,
Even without a Best Director nom,
Which could be where it will all go wrong,
Les Mis probably won't hit the right note,
Life of Pi will miss this boat,
Beasts of the Southern Wild was a nice debut,
But it's chances here are small and few,
I still think there'll be a surprise from Amour,
Though Lincoln's chances are coming to the fore,
Silver Linings Playbook is the big entry from Weinstein and Co,
And could look to take it from Argo,
But my favourite has had a lot of hate,
Zero Dark Thirty seemed to be the favourite out of the gate,
As the season has gone on people have liked it less,
So it won't be the big winner in the press.

This is almost certainly Argo's, but I still don't see it as a clear winner. It is quite the bummer that I don't get to see this until the day after the Oscars. I haven't seen Lincoln and Life of Pi either - they just didn't entice me enough to get my ass over to the cinema. Out of the others, though, I'd rank them like this:
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
5. Les Miserables
4. Silver Linings Playbook
3. Amour
2. Django Unchained 
1. Zero Dark Thirty
I suppose it is quite the controversial choice to have Zero Dark Thirty topping the range, but it is just everything I want in a movie. Plus, it is possibly the most challenging (aside from Amour) of all the nominees, so if it won, I'd be immensely happy. This is Argo's to lose, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if either Lincoln or Silver Linings Playbook took it away.

What do you think? Who do you think will take out these awards?

AAN: Oscar Predictions - The 'Bests' and the Visuals

Welcome to part two of my official Oscar predictions, the big one that this 2013 series of Annual Awards Nerdism has come down to. Tonight, I'll be looking at the 'Bests' (Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Documentary - Features) and the Visuals (Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects). NOTE: I'm not going to attempt the awards for the Shorts because I'll end up looking like a fool.
PAST PREDICTIONS: Sound and Design

The 'Bests' Awards

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Brave / Frankenweenie / Paranorman / The Pirates! Band of Misfits / Wreck-It Ralph

Looks like this will be another Pixar year, even if every man and his dog is intent on calling Brave a bad film because it isn't as good as every other Pixar film. To be honest, this is still one of my absolute favourite films of 2012, mainly because it has a better message than most other animated films. And yeah, that's all I have to say about that. I'll be a little surprised if Brave loses. Plus, it'll be exciting when it does because then Brenda Chapman will be the first woman to win the award. Exciting!

AAN: Oscar Predictions: Sound and Design

Welcome to part one of my official Oscar predictions, which is what this season of Annual Awards Nerdism has boiled down to. In the five nights leading up to the Oscars, I will break down each of the categories with my predictions (and there'll be some poetry down the line). Tonight, I will be dealing with the sound (Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures - Original Song, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures - Original Score) and design awards (Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Make-Up, Best Achievement in Costume Design).

As per usual, I will be using Sparkling Silva, 'Overjoyed' David and Loopy Looper to help me make my predictions. Here's what they code for:
Sparkling Silva - Who I'd be happy to see win.
'Overjoyed' David - My official prediction - who is likely to win.
Loopy Looper - The long shot.

Sound Awards.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Argo / Django Unchained / Life of Pi / Skyfall / Zero Dark Thirty

I could offer up something really smart here but I know literally zilch about sound editing. Django Unchained, Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty were all pretty intense in the sound. I guess Zero Dark Thirty had a lot of sound to deal with, especially in the final scenes. And the 'zero' part of the title pretty much goes with my knowledge of this topic.

AAN: Where the Awards Stand After the Guilds and BAFTAs

I haven't really covered this year's awards season as much as I would have liked - hell, I just haven't found the time to review Silver Linings Playbook even though I saw it over a week ago - but I've found it a little hard to keep up to the minute with this stuff. So I've waited until after the BAFTAs to throw in my two cents on how the season is going as we head into the final straight. Here's my simple guide to what has been happening...

Best Picture - Well Argo pretty much has this one in the bag. With the Golden Globe, SAG, PGA, DGA and BAFTA under it's belt, there's pretty much no stopping it. I do think there is a little leeway for a spoiler from Lincoln or Zero Dark Thirty or even Amour. I mean, I won't be surprised if it doesn't win.

Best Actor - Yeah, Daniel Day-Lewis has pretty much got this as well. I haven't seen Lincoln but I still get so angry about the fact that he is winning over Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper who were both brilliant. Ah well. There's literally no room for anyone else to win in this category.

Best Actress - As has been said, this is pretty much a race between Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain. I mean, the media is now making up rumours that they hate each other but let's be honest - it isn't a big deal if neither of them win it, and I'm sure they're beyond catty behaviour. I like Jessica Chastain's performance 1000x more than Jennifer Lawrence's (that's not because I love J-Chas more than life itself), but they both have a million more chances to win in the future. However, Emmanuelle Riva won the BAFTA tonight and I think this could happen again come Oscar night. Like really. But I still hope that J-Chas wins.

Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz has won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, with Tommy Lee Jones winning the SAG, probably because Waltz wasn't nominated. Another Oscar for Waltz? Bet on it.

Best Supporting Actress - Biggest plot twist ever: Anne Hathaway doesn't win.
Not in this lifetime.

Best Director - This whole category makes me LOL so hard. "Oh look, Ben Affleck just won another award - oh wait, he's not even nominated for the Oscar". Neither is Kathryn Bigelow, who would be my other guess. So really, this race is going to be down to the wire. I'm thinking Michael Haneke will win (I have this thing that Amour is going to win literally everything, like including Best Animated Film). None of the directors who have been nominated for the rest - Ang Lee, Steven Spielberg or David O. Russell - seem to stand out, though Ang Lee seems to be the sensible bet. This is mind boggling stuff, which makes it all the more exciting.

Other little notes:
-Django Unchained's screenplay is getting lots of love. The WGA's can't provide much more clarity on that but I think QT has it in the bag.
-Skyfall seems to be all the rage. Even though it isn't nominated for much that isn't on the technical side, I'd see it taking a few of those awards. Specifically Best Score, which it seems to be doing rather well with.
-Brave is the front runner for the Animated section? Who knows. I hope it is.
-On a BAFTA related note, so happy that Juno Temple got the Rising Star award. She's amazing.
-I actually can't wait for the Indie Spirits this year. Matthew McConaughey as a double nominee? That's how it should be done!

What are you thinking now? Got any front-runners/favourites sorted?

How Zero Dark Thirty was the Most Oddly Inspiring Movie of the Year

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) / US / Out in cinemas now / Directed by Kathryn Bigelow / Written by Mark Boal / Starring Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Joel Edgerton, Mark Duplass, Chris Pratt, James Gandolfini, Edgar Ramirez / 157 mins.

Zero Dark Thirty is not a movie I went into expecting to feel uplifted. But uplifted was exactly how I felt as I made my way out of the cinema, slightly shaken by what I had just seen. It may sound silly to the Oscar haters or Avatar lovers, but when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman in history to win an Oscar for Best Director, my life pretty much changed right there and then. I decided I wanted to become a director too, but that aspiration has had some fine tuning over the years and now I realise that it was because of that moment I have learned two very valuable things about myself: I always have wanted to be a leader and do things that not everyone else can do (in this case, Kathryn is a female director who makes 'male films'). In a way, I guess you could say that a very large reason behind the fact that I'm Head Girl at my school comes down to Kathryn Bigelow being a badass woman. While I didn't absolutely love The Hurt Locker (but I sure as hell love it more than most) - but I do quite love her 1995 cult hit Strange Days - Zero Dark Thirty presented something that was rather inspiring to me. It tracks the biggest manhunt of the century, and there was a woman at the centre of it all.

AAN: Predicting the Golden Globes w/ Silva, David and Joe

The Golden Globes are happening in nine days, but since I'll be in Japan at the time, I am going to do my predictions now. I'll be using Sparkling Silva, 'Overjoyed' David and Loopy Looper to help me predict the awards. Here's how they work:

Sparkling Silva - Who I want to win...even though I don't really have an opinion because I've seen 0.078% of the nominees.
'Overjoyed' David - Who I'm predicting to actually win.
Loopy Looper - The long-shot.

Best Motion Picture - Drama: Argo / Django Unchained / Life of Pi / Lincoln / Zero Dark Thirty
While this is race between Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty, I just can't see Zero Dark Thirty taking out this one. I'm leaving that for the DGA and PGA's to get that to the Oscars. So, I'm fairly sure Lincoln will win, even though I wouldn't dismiss Argo. Life of Pi and Django Unchained seem like long-shots for such a close race, but I'd pick Django Unchained as the one I want to win because that would be cool.

Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel / Les Miserables / Moonrise Kingdom / Salmon Fishing in the Yemen / Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook and Les Miserables will go head to head here, but given the mixed reaction to Les Miserables, I can see the former winning. However, Moonrise Kingdom could end up being the spoiler (hey I've seen that one, meaning that the only films I haven't seen in this category are the front-runners - I guess I'm kinda winning). I'd love to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel win, and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will continue being the place-filler it is and come out on the bottom.

AAN: Thoughts on the Golden Globes Nominations with Silva, David and Joe

Well well well, the Golden Globes nominations happened. And I'm not sure why they get such a bad wrap. Sure, they nominated The Tourist for giggles and that showed how bad they were. But they've made amends. Remember that they were the ones who nominated Michael Fassbender for Best Actor for Shame last year. And they didn't nominate Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for giggles. And this year's line-up is pretty okay by my standards. I wouldn't say it is anything ground-breaking but it has created a few interesting possibilities. It is surprising how wide open this awards season is without having too many competitors. Now just in case you've forgotten how my new Annual Awards Nerdism ratings system works, here's a reminder:

Sparkling Silva - I'm generally happy about this line-up. I got what I wanted.
'Overjoyed' David - Meh. I knew it was going to happen. I'm neither here nor there.
Loopy Looper - No. Just no.

Best Motion Picture - Drama:

Argo / Django Unchained / Life of Pi / Lincoln / Zero Dark Thirty

Nothing new here, folks. Although Django Unchained needed that boost. The late release kind of hurt its chance at SAG, so it really did need it. But we can be sure that they'll all make Best Picture at the Oscars, so you may as well put your bets in now.