Some Academy Awards Thoughts and Predictions...(in case you were wondering)

Ah the Academy Awards. Everyone has a prediction, and while I don't claim to be an expert, here are some predictions for the big night.

Best Picture



Nominees: "The King's Speech," "True Grit," "Inception," "The Social Network," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The Kids Are All Right," "Toy Story 3," "127 Hours," "Winter's Bone"

Breakdown: It's really hard to argue against any of these nominees, but it's clearly a two-horse race right now between "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network," although it wouldn't be a major surprise at all to see box-office favorite "True Grit" pick up the award.

Who Should Win: "The Social Network" There's just something about this movie that I can't shake. David Fincher's directing, Aaron Sorkin's writing, Trent Reznor's score, the acting of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake all combine together to create what in my opinion is the best all around movie of the year. While some people have called the film "The Facebook Movie," it's really about much more than just the website, and it says a lot about culture and the generation we live in now.

Who Will Win: "The King's Speech" At the beginning of awards season it looked as if "The Social Network" could not be stopped. It seemingly was winning every critics award imaginable and was starting to have the feel of an Oscar lock. But the race got interesting late in the game as "The King's Speech" started to rack up awards and after winning the award for director Tom Hooper from the DGA, the historical drama looks to be the front runner.

Snubs: "The Town," While I think "Winter's Bone" is completely deserving a nomination in this category, Ben Affleck's Boston crime drama easily could have slid in to (what was most likely) the tenth slot.

Best Director



David Fincher ("The Social Network"), Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech"), Darren Aronofsky, ("Black Swan"), David O. Russell ("The Fighter"), Joel and Ethan Coen ("True Grit")

Breakdown: It's truly hard to argue with any of the five nominations in this category, but it's a two horse race again with Fincher and Hooper. Both films, "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech," have gotten high praise everywhere, and if one of these two didn't win the award I would be surprised. While the Coen's have past pedigree in the category, I think it's between Hooper and Fincher.

Who Should Win: David Fincher has directed some truly great films in the past, including "Seven," "Fight Club," and "Zodiac," and I think he made the best picture of the year in "The Social Network." It should be his award.

Who Will Win: Fincher has it. His film and his work on it have earned widespread praise and although Hooper won the DGA Award (making him sort of a frontrunner) I still think Fincher will pull away with it.

Snubs: Christopher Nolan! "Inception," In one of the most glaring snubs in recent memory, Nolan was shut out of this category again (after another snub for "The Dark Knight). Conspiracy theories are abound, but I think the reason is because some voters maybe just didn't understand "Inception" (which means they are dumb), but whatever the reason he deserves to be miffed. Hopefully with "The Dark Knight Rises" Nolan will get his due.

Best Actor



Colin Firth ("The King's Speech"), Jeff Bridges ("True Grit"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), James Franco ("127 Hours"), Javier Bardem ("Biutiful")

Breakdown: While all five actors gave amazing performances, this feels like it's Firth's award to lose. He won the Golden Globe award and his performance has been unanimously praised for it's realistic portrayal of a character suffering from a stammer. Both Franco and Eisenberg were fantastic, and if not for Firth, either of these two would be deserving.

Who Should Win: Whenever an actor is nominated two years in a row for Best Actor, I think that is truly an amazing accomplishment. Both Firth and Bridges pulled it off this year (Bridges won for "Crazy Heart" last year, while Firth was in "A Single Man") and while I think Bridges was great as Rooster Cogburn, it's Firth's year.

Who Will Win: Firth is the frontrunner, and he will take it home.

Snubs: Robert Duvall of "Get Low" and Ryan Gosling from "Blue Valentine" to Mark Wahlberg of "The Fighter." All three have legitimate beef with the Academy, but I can't argue with any of the five nominated. Gosling was truly exceptional though.

Best Actress



Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right"), Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone"), Nicole Kidman ("Rabbit Hole"), Michelle Williams ("Blue Valentine")

Breakdown: Another category which seems as if it's down to two nominees: Annette Bening and Natalie Portman are the frontrunners for this award. Portman was previously nominated as a supporting actress for 2004's "Closer" and Bening has been nominated four times without winning.

Who Should Win: I thought both Bening and Portman were fantastic, but i think it's Portman who should win this year, because "Black Swan" totally fell on her shoulders and she was just great in it. It was a physically and mentally demanding role, and she took it head on.

Who Will Win: While I think Portman could easily take this, I actually think the Academy will finally call on Bening for the first time.

Snubs: Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit", I should call this the "Sort Of Snub". While I think it's great she was nominated for Supporting Actress (which she has an actual chance to win), her character was more of a leading role, and I think she deserved a nomination for Best Actress, although I understand the voters reasoning.

Best Supporting Actor



Christian Bale ("The Fighter"), Geoffrey Rush ("The King's Speech"), Jeremy Renner ("The Town"), Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are All Right"), John Hawkes ("Winter's Bone")

Breakdown: While obviously every Oscar category is "deep" in the sense that the nominees are all deserving, this category is probably the strongest of any from top to bottom this year. While Bale was a knockout in "The Fighter" and is the front runner, in any other year each four of these actors could take home the award. Ruffalo gave an amazing performance years ago in "You Can Count On Me" which was Oscar-winning-worthy, and while I don't think he'll win this year he was fantastic.

Who Should Win: I do think Bale was amazing, and he should win the award, but for the sake of it, and because I am a huge fan, I'll say John Hawkes should win. He has been spinning great performances for years (including in "Deadwood" among many others) and after seeing "Winter's Bone" I was floored by his performance.

Who Will Win: Bale is the frontrunner and after a slew of great roles in his career, deserves this award.

Snubs: Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network"), the snubs of either of these two shows how much voters liked "Winter's Bone," which I admit I was a fan of as well. Although I loved Hawkes in the film, I think both these actors could have received a nomination. Timberlake was great and Garfield was even greater, playing the emotional and sympathetic center of the year's best film.


Best Supporting Actress



Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"), Amy Adams ("The Fighter"), Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech"), Hailee Steinfeld ("True Grit") Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom")

Breakdown: When a film has two nominations in one category, it sure says a lot. While Carter gave an amazing performance, as did Weaver, it seems to be Leo's award to lose (apart from her strange Oscar campaign photos).

Who Should Win: Steinfeld was amazing in "True Grit" and based on pure performance, she should win.

Who Will Win: Leo most likely will take home the award for her loud and realistic portrayal of boxer Micky Ward's mother.

Snubs: Mila Kunis ("Black Swan"), Julianne Moore ("The Kids Are All Right"), Both were absolutely deserving but were shut out in a strong year for the category. Kunis was truly great in "Black Swan" and has a definite gripe here.

Other stray thoughts and observations:

-Snub: Lee Smith - Editing - Inception. Come on, that last act when the movie is jumping through three different levels of dreaming isn't Oscar worthy? Please.

-I hope Christopher Nolan wins for Best Original Screenplay for "Inception." The film was truly fantastic and do you get a script more original than that? Don't think so.

-Sunb: Daft Punk - Score - Tron: Legacy, I'm probably biased because I am a Daft Punk fan, but their electronic and transy soundtrack to the new "Tron" film definitely deserved a nomination. But if Trent Reznor loses the Award that is an injustice.

-I don't care if they thought the film wasn't that great overall, but "Tron: Legacy" getting shut out of an Effects Oscar just doesn't make sense.

The Academy Awards air on Sunday February, 27, 2011.

Cillian Murphy Wants to Be "I'm.mortal"

Cillian Murphy, fresh off playing "The Mark" in Christopher Nolan's "Inception," has joined the cast of Andrew Niccol's latest sci-fi feature "I'm.mortal."

According to Heat Vision, Murphy is in final negotiations to star with Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake in the Fox drama.

The story is set in the not-too-distant future, when the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, and the rest try to negotiate for their immortality.

Justin Timberlake plays a ghetto rebel wrongly accused of murder that is forced to go into hiding with a beautiful and rich hostage (Amanda Seyfried). They soon begin a steamy romance. Murphy will play a 'Timekeepers' officer described as "precise as the time he keeps."

This project has a boat load of potential, and the addition of Murphy is another step in the right direction. Although Niccol's projects have been uneven throughout his career, I think "Gattaca" is vastly underrated and proved that Niccol knows his way around sci-fi. On top of that, with Timberlake putting in some solid work on "The Social Network," he has shown he isn't just a singer who is acting.

Niccol directs from a script he wrote and shooting begins in September.

The Best Link in the Whole Wide World....Today

For all you Breezer's out there (all 6 of you--and that might be an over statement) here's a new thing from your friends here in Boca-land, The Best Link in the Whole Wide World....Today.

Throughout everyday in our Internet consumption we pour over articles, videos, links, blog posts..it goes on and on and on. What this will be is the thing that I found (on each particular day) to be the most interesting article or video or anything that I deem noteworthy.

Not that I am such a great critic that all in the world should listen, but I'll put it this way, I won't steer you into anything trashy. Sure it might be a waste of your time, but it'll be worth wasting that time.

Okay so here we go, here is the first ever, The Best Link in the Whole Wide World....Today.

The link is from our good friends over at Cinematical which is one of my favorite movie sites out there. The post has an AMAZING rendering of the explanation of the film "Inception" in diagram form. If you haven't seen the film, beware, but I honestly don't think you could decipher it anyway without prior knowledge of what's going on.

Either way I have been obsessed with the film since I saw it, and if you enjoyed it, you will enjoy this to.

Until tomorrow my friends. And as Buster Olney says, tomorrow will be better.

Christopher Nolan Talks "Superman", "Batman"

Empire Magazine has done a rather epic interview with "Inception" director Christopher Nolan and got him to talk a little bit more about both a third "Batman" and the "Superman" reboot he's attached to "mentor."

According to Empire: Nolan still hasn't officially signed on to direct the next "Batman" and he says it's due to workload. Said Nolan: "The God's honest truth is I work on one movie at a time. I'm only capable of doing that, so my head will continue to be firmly in ['Inception'] for another few months."

While this is understandable, I pray he directs it. I mean, who else could pull it off? His brother Jonah is currently working on the script and Nolan is excited about it. He confirmed that the film would essentially be the capper of a trilogy rather than a random third entry.

Said Nolan: "There are things for me to be very excited about in addressing the characters again. It will be the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story."

He also shot down are some villain possibilities. Thankfully, he mentioned that the Joker character would not return, which I think is a great decision. Said Nolan: "No, I just don't feel comfortable about it."

Nolan also explained his role in the new “Superman.” Nolan said David Goyer pitched him a new approach to the Man of Steel one day, and "thought it was really tremendous. It was the first time I had been able to conceive of how you would address Superman in a modern context."

Having Nolan involved will only be a positive for that franchise, and after the dud that was “Superman Returns” in 2006, hopefully Nolan and Goyer can right the ship.

Nolan’s film “Inception” is set to open July 16, 2010.

"Inception" Synopsis Revealed

Warner Bros. Pictures has released an official synopsis for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated yet still very mysterious thriller "Inception" - a synopsis that delivers a basic outline of the story at last:

"Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable.

Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved.

Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible–inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one.

If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming."

I'm more excited for this film than any other this summer. The trailer is mysterious, and just leaves you begging for more. Nolan is a cinematic genius, and this film looks to be mind blowing.

The film is scheduled to hit theatres on July 16th. Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy and Michael Caine also star.

Christopher Nolan Talks "Inception" Challenges

"The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan has finally spoken about his upcoming, mind-bending thriller "Inception," granting his first interview about the film to The Los Angeles Times.

According to the interview, Noland said: "We're trying to tell a story on a massive scale, a true blockbuster scale--the biggest I've ever been involved with. We tried to make a very large-scale film with 'The Dark Knight' and with this one, we wanted to push that even further."

Story-wise, expect a very large scope: "I grew up watching James Bond films and loving those and watching spy movies with their globetrotting sensibility.... We get to do that here, not just geographically but also in time and dimensions of reality as well. We get to make a movie that's expansive, I suppose you'd say, in four dimensions."

Emma Thomas, Nolan's wife and the film's producer, says the film is something they've been talking about on and off for seven or eight years.

Said Thomas: “Coming off of the ‘The Dark Knight,’ the only thing we really knew is that we wanted to do something more personal. It seemed like the right time to do this. The fact that it’s really just an enormous movie--that wasn’t ever really a factor in the decision. This story lends itself to a movie of this size."

Hearing Nolan talk about the film just makes me even more excited to see it. I like the fact that it’s shrouded in mystery, and the film could end up being Nolan’s best yet. And that’s saying a lot when your previous films were “The Dark Knight,” “The Prestige” and “Memento.”

On top of the fact that, Nolan is an amazing director and he has assembled some of the most talented actors in Hollywood today for the film. Both Leonardo Dicaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are favorites of mine. Anyone who likes Levitt and hasn’t seen “Brick” or “(500) Days of Summer” must do so ASAP.

“Inception” will be released July 16, 2010.