The Monuments Men trailer.

George Clooney presents: Argo 2: VERSUS HITLER

Silliness aside, I had no idea Bill Murray was in this. If the Academy particularly warms to this, there's a good chance John Goodman could be in three Best Picture winners in a row (he also has Inside Llewyn Davis too)

Spike Jonze's latest: Her (2013)

I'm way too late for this, but it's better late than never: The spectacularly relevant trailer for Spike Jonze's latest: Her, with a Joaquin Phoenix, and a particularly attractive female supporting cast.

Trailer below:

2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

The Oscar frenzy is dawning upon us film fans, starting next week when Cuaron's Gravity premiers in Venice. Before then, I plan to finish what I started last month: the first round of Oscar nominee predictions!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1. Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
After losing a bit of buzz due to the lack of festival presence, Foxcatcher is bounding back with potential Oscar dominance with a release date (December 20th) AND a first image. Mark Ruffalo looks like a perfect winning contender due to three things:

-His character dies in a true story (The Academy might recognize that)
-He has been nominated before, but has yet to win (The Academy has been giving out a lot of first-time prizes lately)
-Mark is at a perfect spot in his career, with his role as the Hulk and many new movies coming out.

2. Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
Since Tom Hanks has two Oscar contending films (this and Captain Phillips), he is going to get his name thrown around a lot on the ballots. Especially since I think this role looks like a leading role, he has one more distinct advantage. He's also playing Walt Disney, if that helps (it definitely doesn't hurt).

3. Javier Bardem, The Counselor
Despite this film not showing on the festival circuit, this film looks like a mix of pulpy and sleek crime fun. Javier Bardem won the last time he worked with Cormac McCarthy material (the brilliant No Country for Old Men), so I think he has a good shot at a nomination with a showy role (that hair!) that also touches on mass drug production like the currently popular TV show Breaking Bad.

4. Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Three films with Steve McQueen (not The Great Escape Steve) should result in some proper recognition. The last time a white character in a supporting role with a fantastic beard won an Oscar was last year, so this sort of role is not a taboo (unlike genitalia flaunting in Shame)

5. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Fans in the Academy of Thirty Seconds to Mars may vote for Leto... just because. Some will due to the extreme weight loss he went through with Matt McC(I'm not even going to try). Focus Features hasn't had a breadwinner in a while, so let's see if Dallas Buyers Club is as good as it looks.

Check back tomorrow for Best Supporting Actress predictions!

Catching up with Foxcatcher!

I can say that Foxcatcher is one of my year's most anticipated films. I was disappointed to see it not listed at Toronto or Venice, but this week has been generous to Foxcatcher. The film is now getting a Sony Pictures Classics release on December 20th (YES!), and now an image has been released of Steve Carrell as schizophrenic John Du Pont.

Do you know what happens to 'nosey' fellas?

The Top 10 of the year... so far!

From my list on TasteOfCinema.

2012 was a magnificent year in movies, and so far 2013 looks like it will exceed in greatness. Venice and Toronto film festivals are upon us, and with the arrival of film festivals comes the arrival of Oscar contenders. The first 2/3 of 2013 however still deserves a fair share of recognition and awards, so without further ado, here are the best movies of 2013 (so far)! (Note: I have yet to see Blue Jasmine)

Fruitvale Station (2013)- Train-ing Day (3½ Stars)

Ryan Coogler wrote and directed the Sundance-prize winning Fruitvale Station, and much hype has been given. Does it deserve it all? Most definitely not. However, it is well-done retelling on an important event, which will offer a finite amount of timelessness.

Masterpieces Classics: Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Sometimes, one would hear the phrase "The book was better than the movie". And yet, if Agnes Varda's masterwork was based upon a novel, the movie would most definitely be better. This is because of the film's unique pacing: it moves in real time.

Unlike another real-time masterpiece, Before Sunset, Cléo from 5 to 7 actually follows the title character Cleo in situations, not conversations. Cleo is the only character present in all of the scenes.

Only God Forgives (2013)- 'Drive' on steroids (3½ Stars)

Ever since the first trailer premiere, I've been hotly anticipating what could have been one of the year's best films.

Guess what? It is!

Ryan Gosling stars as a Julien, a Thai drug dealer who also manages a boxing ring. He is conflicted between good and evil when his devilish mother (note: DEVILISH) pays a visit when Julien's brother is killed. A god-like cop played by Vithya Pasingram comes between Julien's mom's plan for Julien to take revenge.

That's just the plot. And the plot is only a small part of the film. That is what is potentially dividing so many viewers: the lack of a strong plot. I thought the plot (at least for material like this) was perfect in importance, since a stronger plot would only complicate the religious themes even more, and a lesser plot... less plot would lead to a pointless movie.

2014 Oscars: Best Director predictions (7/10/13)

In a perfect world, Richard Linklater would have this category locked up. Which is truly unfortuante, for his chances of winning anything for his work on Before Midnight are slim. Alas, we still have five contenders that I imagine will do well as nominees.

1. Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
It is truly miraculous to see one of the best directors ever to still be working. Wolf of Wall Street looks hilarious and exciting, and has Scorsese written all over it.

2. George Clooney, The Monuments Men
When ex-nominee/ex-Batman is directing with an ensemble cast like this, he is bound to get a nomination, maybe a win.

3. Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis
The Coen Bros. received nominations for their work on True Grit. With their latest pic a film stronger than True Grit, they will probably also be nominees.

4. Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
With Foxcatcher being my predicted Best Picture w
inner, I might as well predict the director as a nominee. Maybe he will win, maybe he won't.

5. Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Do I think Gravity will even receive a Best Picture nomination? No. But Cuaron has a visual style that has been well known due to his work with Children of Men. This time, he will receive that elusive nomination. With the film also opening the Venice fest, we will see soon enough how good his latest is.

Check back soon for more predictions!

2014 Oscars: Best Actress predictions (7/10/13)

Time for another big category, and this year, this category is up in the air (again). However, predicting will not hurt at all.

1. Naomi Watts, Diana
The long overdue Naomi Watts will finally win... hopefully. A lot of this depends on the film' quality. Right now I'm expecting a film rating of 65%-70% on RottenTomatoes.

2. Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Every year Meryl Streep makes a movie, she must be noted as a potential nominee. Her performance has actually been seen by a small audience, and the reception so far is good. Let's see how much cynicism the Academy can handle.

3. Kate Winslet, Labor Day
Every time Kate Winslet make a movie, she also must be recognized as a potential contender. This time, she is directed by Jason Reitman, a man who can usually make Oscar-worthy performances. The again, Young Adult was unfairly snubbed out of Best Actress and Supporting Actor.

4. Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Maybe I am bias. But I think that if there was any contender that has not been a nominee in this category, it ought to be Julie Delpy, with a performance displaying high range and in a film that will most likely receive love from the older Academy members/hipster ones.

5. Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco
Last year Nicole Kidman almost became a surprise nominee for the little-seen The Paperboy. However, her chances at a nomination look significantly higher, as she is playing former leading lady Grace Kelly, and is also backed by the Weinstein Company. However, can she pull off Grace Kelly (I'm not sure that she can, personally).

Check back soon for more nomination predictions!