Best Actress predictions

BEST ACTRESS:

1. J. Law for Silver Linings Playbook.
She's young. They're in love. I mean 'They' as in the Academy. She basically was the main reason Winter's Bone got the nomination for Best Picture. Silver Linings is a crowd pleaser, and being the main star of The Hunger Games is only going to help her.

2. Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone
Since Missy C has been a winner of Best Actress before, for a French film. Isn't Rust and Bone a French film? This year's Best Actress pickings have been reasonable slim, and her nomination is  near lock. Also, being a French goddess and being in The Dark Knight Rises is only going to help her.

3. Quevenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild
The best thing of Wallis' performance is that she was a natural Southern. She was born for the role. It was so unusual to see something so human in such a fantasy. The only thing limiting her nomination is her SAG ineligibility.

4. Emanuelle Riva for Amour
The old farts in the Academy will vote for her for what she's done (Hiroshima mon amour). The others will vote for her because she has an amazing performance in this foreign film. The main thing limiting her is the fact that the film is foreign. That probably could limit Marion Cotillard.

5. Tie between Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
JC is one of the stars that's taking Hollywood by storm, who can do art-house and blockbuster with ease. Zero Dark Thirty looks to be both. The film has yet to be seen, but Annapurna Productions and Sony has faith in the film. Naomi Watts has been praised for many performances, but has only nabbed one nomination, all the way back in 2003. So Chassy is only getting more popular, and Watts is losing her footing. However, The Impossible is a disaster true story tale, which will appeal to all members. Zero Dark Thirty is definitely going to get some controversy for its themes. However, it will appeal to those who voted for The Hurt Locker. I am conflicted.

Screenplay nomination predictions due tomorrow.

TIFF brings out two films you can easily like... and one that you could (with difficulty,) love.

... I would like to know the context....

TIFF (That's Toronto International Film Festival) is underway, and has brought showings of The Master, which is getting love. Speaking of love...

-Amour is showing off to be more than a one-trick pony (Cannes). The frontrunner for Best Foreign film, shutting out Rust and Bone. But...
-Rust and Bone is a lock for Best Actress (Marion Cotillard). Her love in the Academy is only getting bigger, and her appearances in The Dark Knight Rises and Inception is helping.

Cloud Atlas premiered yesterday, and is seemingly as divisive as I guess, Dark City and The Tree of Life. Some critics call it bold and vivid, with amazing stories, while others say the opposite.

Probably the biggest surprise at TIFF was Silver Linings Playbook, with Bradley Cooper and J.Law (see what I did there? No?). Directed by the difficult David O'Russell, critics are calling it 'a true crowd-pleaser'. Weinstein's got a lot on his plate, and it's looking like Django Unchained might be the runt in the roster.

Argo screened again, and it's another crowd pleaser. Ben Affleck is no actor-director like Orson Welles, but the only thing I read in reviews is that "he's a master storyteller". Cannot wait for Argo.

That's the scoop... wait for gathered opinions on The Impossible sometime in the next month.

Amour wins the Palme d'Or!

It's finally over. This year's Cannes film festival has been underwhelming, and the main films that left (that pique my interest) are the popular ones: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour, and Rust and Bone.

I was honestly surprised that Amour won, since Haneke won so recently with The White Ribbon. It also turns out that I got 0 of my predictions right. Depressing, but that's life.

Complete winners are on this link:

Could'a been a Cannes-tender: My award predictions...

Cannes Film Festival ends in two days, and it's been kind of a disappointment. The Paperboy, Lawless, and many others have been divisive disappointments, and other films have been middling and mediocre. The high points, though, have been Moonrise Kingdom, Love, Rust and Bone, Holy Motors, and maybe On the Road.

What will take home the Palme d'Or, however? I would change my old opinion of Cosmopolis to Love, but Haneke was already awarded two years ago. Cannes is like that, not rewarding the same director twice. I originally thought Moonrise Kingdom would be cute show, but now its an actual contender. I don't see it winning the Gold, but it might win the Jury Prize or even Grand Prix. This makes me want to give it to Rust and Bone. It probably won't go to Rust, but I think the lovely Cotillard might win Best Actress. I mean, it's French film with the main character being paralyzed! Last time a film like that was entered (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), it didn't go empty handed!