Now I know most of you are going to think… she’s a girl… and he’s Brad Pitt. Of course, she is going to love the film no matter what.  Now, that’s partially true.  However, I also enjoyed the movie he produced. “Moneyball” is about the two things in it’s title… money and baseball.

Time and time again, people question how can we pay athletes such massive amounts of money to play a game? Billie Beane and Peter Brand worked out a system that worked to their pathetic budget for the Oakland Athletics. They didn’t have to pay the athletes stupid amounts of money because they couldn’t.  Let’s start with what I know:  I know a little baseball and I have heard of “Moneyball”, the book by Michael Lewis. No, I’ve never read it. Do I plan on reading it now? Yes, yes I do.

It’s still a bizarre concept to me because baseball statistics still bewilder me and that’s okay. I got the main idea of what Beane and Brand, both brilliant men, were trying to do.

“Moneyball” as the movie, and not what the Oakland Athletics overall strategic accomplishment, was well done starting with  the writing by Aaron Sorkin. Once again like “The Social Network”, Sorkin has a way with making the complicated, simplified.

Besides the writing, the acting was better than I thought it was going to be. I didn’t expect Jonah Hill, normally a comedian, to come off so well as Peter Brand, an economist from Yale. I also didn’t expect Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill to work so well as a team. Pitt and Hill had chemistry as Beane and Brand. I think that’s what made the movie work. If you didn’t have this combo, the movie might have fallen a little flat.  Even Phillip Seymour Hoffman who is not my favorite actor, always pulls through in who he was portraying. My Dad said he played a pretty good Art Howe.

So you have a well written script, good choice in casting and the last part that I thought made this movie an enjoyable movie was the editing of stock footage of the Oakland A’s real games with the movie shots. I even thought mixing all the statistic computer shots worked really well.

If you had to guess, what Oscar nominated movie did I enjoy more today, “Tinker Tailor Solder Spy” or “Moneyball”, you would assume it’s “Moneyball”. You are a correct, but once again… it’s not because of Brad Pitt. Well, okay a little bit… It was also because it was a good enjoyable movie where I even learned a couple things.

Any baseball fans, really love this movie? Do any of you guys, really hate it? Let me know!

Oscar Nominations:

1. Best Picture
2. Best Actor in a Leading Role: Brad Pitt
3. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jonah Hill
4. Best Film Editing
5. Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is a mouthful of a title. It is also a mouthful of a movie. I advise you to not let your attention drift because then you’re in big trouble.

“Tinker…” is based off John le Carre’s novel dealing with espionage during the Cold War. Tomas Alfredson takes a stab at this after the 1979 television mini-series starring Alec Guinness.  Gary Oldman portrays George Smiley, an agent forced out of semi-retirement to uncover a mole that is in the British intelligence.  I found it really funny that Oldman’s character didn’t really come out to play until about thirty minutes into the movie. That’s okay because it was 2 hours.

It was intriguing to watch the investigation unfold with Smiley enlisting the help of Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) and another to figure out the mole. Peter become more of  an interesting character than Smiley does when he must do away with his private life when the investigation begins.

The investigation focused on the Tinker, the Tailor, The Soldier and the Spy. Smiley finds chess pieces in the home of another agent that represents each of the people of the operation. The pieces connection to each of the characters really are my favorite part of the film including Oldman’s choice of glasses (which he took forever in deciding on as he said in a magazine article) Unexpected favorite part: Colin Firth appearing in this film as Bill Haydon, one of the agents that Smiley investigates.

I really can’t go into the details of the investigation because I don’t want to ruin who the mole is (which you don’t find out to the very end) ,but also because I’m still very confused on what was going on at some points. Alfredson would make very abrupt cuts that would flash back from the present to the past, but I of course didn’t realize it at first.

Oldman gained his first academy nomination portraying himself as Smiley.  I can see why Oldman was nominated because Smiley is a complex character dealing with his wife’s affairs, being put into semi-retirement and now finding the mole, but at the same I found Tom Hardy’s performance as Ricki Tarr more compelling. His story does take up a large portion of the film because Tarr is the one that learns there has been a mole in the British Intelligence agency for a while….  just not who.

Check it out and let me know if you think Oldman deserved his nomination or if the movie was stumping you just as much as did for me…  I think I’m going to check out le Carre’s novel to see if it makes more sense that way.

Oscar Nominations:

1. Gary Oldman: Actor in a Leading Role
2. Music (Original Score)

Revenge ABC

“Guilt” is one of those episodes that starts off with a dramatic beginning like in the Season premiere of “Revenge” and it flashes back. Luckily, you find out what happens in this episodes from two days earlier that leads up to the event of Lydia falling onto a taxi cab. May I also say that Emily’s voice over is nicely linked to the fall since “the guilty always fall.”

Two days earlier or should I see even farther back, Emily/Amanda is watching the news of tragic plane crash of 197. Why are kids so fascinated by the news? I guess it’s stuff that parents usually try to block. It’s like the red button. If you’re told not to touch it, you  really want to touch it.  Also the more of David Clarke (James Tupper) the better. Side note: Just figured out that he was on “Grey’s Anatomy”. ABC sure does take care of their people…

This is only episode five, but I will continually love the relationship of Nolan and Emily. Nolan is to Emily like Ashley is to Victoria Grayson. He’s always there for her and willing to do anything for her. First, he tries to protect her by putting “Shamu” a.k.a little whale web-cam in her house. That gets kind of messed up since Lydia wants her summer house back and Emily gives her a box of things including “Shamu”.

Lydia is the one that falls so this is episode is primarily Lydia centric, though I could talk about Nolan and Emily’s relationship forever. One thing I don’t have want to talk about is Declan and Charlotte. They are like the teenagers of “Terranova”…. no one cares. If I stopped watching teenage drama on “Gossip Girl”, what makes you think I want to see it on ABC or FOX? Anyway….

Emily tries to frame Lydia for being the saboteur of Victoria’s luncheon. Why else would she have a signed book from Dr. Banks and have none of her footage aired? It can’t be Emily since all her dirty laundry was aired. That’s okay though because Lydia is really out to get the Graysons already. She plans on destroying them at the Open Arms Benefit, a foundation for the victims of Flight 197 where the Graysons are ironically being honored for. She’s even a got a lovely speech written that starts… “Victims of Fraud and Deceit, the monsters behind this, all this time are Victoria and Conrad Grayson”.  Not to worry in case you have a fondness for the Graysons… Victoria is warned by Frank and pretends to forgive Lydia… as if.

What also occurs during this banquet is another problem from another object in the box, a photo from a New Year’s Eve party from 2003 and there seems to be a familiar girl in the picture. Apparently, Amanda Clarke worked the party, not Emily.  Nolan knows all this thanks to “Shamu”. Emily can’t get the fax of the people  who worked the party that Lydia is getting because Daniel interrupts her planning.  Once again, Nolan is there to save the day when everyone is at the party. Almost…

On the way home from the party, a little before Nolan get there,  Lydia is cornered in her apartment by Frank who beats her like crazy which makes her” accidentally fall over the ledge.”

When Nolan arrives to collect his things, he hears sirens and sees Lydia below. He rewatches the Frank attack on “Shamu”. Too bad, when Nolan tries to call Emily, she is too busy with Daniel in the bedroom. Before this Daniel and she had to pick up Charlotte from her crazy driving experience with Declan in which Daniel asks for a bar tending job from Jack. Like I said, the least amount of teenage drama I could muster. Two sentences is fine enough.

I must apologize to Windsong who loves to discuss Revenge with me. Clearly, something happened these past two months of me watching the episodes and forgetting that I have a blog and people to talk with about this exciting show. This is also the perfect time to catch up, a new episode of Revenge isn’t on until February.

Lydia on "Revenge"

Side note: Didn’t Lydia look a little Diane Kruger in that dress?

Oscars

This year’s Oscar nominees that came out this morning gave me a mixed reaction. Most of them didn’t surprise me, but I also was’t really enthused by them. On a sad note: I was sad to see that Ryan Gosling was not nominated for anything and that “Harry Potter” couldn’t get a best picture nod. Anyway, below are the nine best picture nominees with how many other nominations they got.The numbers may surprise you.

1. Hugo: 11
2. The Artist: 10
3.  War Horse: 6
4. The Descendants: 5
5. Moneyball: 5
6. The Help: 4
7. Midnigh in Paris: 4
8. The Tree of Life: 3
9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: 2

1.Hugo: The mistake I made. Clearly, I should’ve seen it. It just didn’t look that appealing at the time. Apparently the Academy feels differently.

• Best Picture
• Best Art Direction
• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design
• Best Directing: Martin Scorsese
• Best Film Editing
• Best Original Score: Howard Shore
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

2. The Artist: The movie that everyone loves for its simplicity. No words required.

• Best Picture
• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin
• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Bérénice Bejo
• Best Art Direction
• Best Directing: Michael Hazanavicius
• Best Film Editing
• Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource
• Best Original Screenplay

4. The Descendants: The movie that I’m seeing this week. George Clooney and Hawaii, how can you go wrong?

• Best Picture
• Best Actor in a Leading Role: George Clooney
• Best Directing: Alexander Payne
• Best Film Editing
• Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

5. Moneyball: The movie I have on DVD and is patiently waiting to watch it with her father.

• Best Picture
• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Brad Pitt
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jonah Hill
• Best Film Editing
• Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

6. The Help: A great movie based off a great book.

• Best Picture
• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Viola Davis
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jessica Chastain
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer

7. Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen plus Owen Wilson in Paris? That should be good fun, right?

• Best Picture
• Best Art Direction
• Best Directing: Woody Allen
• Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

8. The Tree of Life: The weird Dinosaur movie with Brad Pitt in it.

• Best Picture
• Best Cinematography
• Best Directing: Terence Malick

This is not the end the end of Oscar talk, but I thought this would be a good breakdown of the top nine movies. Not in the top nine movies, but nominated include “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “Tinker Tailer Solider Spy” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″.

During the summer, I was off and on with “White Collar”. I kept on forgetting to tape it. I don’t know why. Was I losing interest? However that changed with the cliffhanger episode that ended the first half of Season 3 in August.  Who doesn’t love a good kidnapping?

The third half of season 3 picked up where they left off last August. Peter is back at his house where Elizabeth is taken from. In order to get Elizabeth back, Neal and Peter must give the treasure to slimy Keller. They must also find Mozzie who has already taken the treasure and does not want to be found. Good thing Mozzie loves Mrs. Suit.  This relationship might even be better than Neal and Peter’s.

The episode had its usual conning going on, but it also highlighted the character’s strengths… even Satchmo. Tim Dekay showed great dramatic change in his character thanks to Elizabeth being kidnapped. Peter would do anything, even a con job to get his wife back . However, one thing bothered me about Peter. Peter seemed to be too forgiving of Neal and Mozzie for lying about having the treasure. I’m sure it was the pressure of finding his wife, I’m sure the writers will make up for that.

Tiffani Thiessen also showed great change in Elizabeth. We’ve only seen bits of Elizabeth in the past as a doting wife who like to go to art galleries with Mozzie. She’s been cunning before, but never like this. She depended on her husband saving her, but she also depended on herself. In a closed off room with a locked door, a guard and shatterproof window, how would she ever get out?  She used her brain, her nice diamond ring from Peter, a well placed thermostat and a bite from Satchmo. This was probably my favorite part of my episode even over the whole con in the warehouse. She saved herself with a little help  in the end from Dianna and Jones.

The “White Collar” writers however also saved their creepy, slimy talking villain…. Keller. Keller was caught by the F.B.I., but he also  confessed in front of the Russian Government to be the only one who stole the Nazi treasure so he could give it back to Russia. Now he’s safe from the Russian  mob. He’ll come back again to twist the New York lives of Mozzie, Neal and the Burkes.

Neal is also safe from confessing he stole the treasure. Too bad, he just got a letter from the government that he will have  a hearing to free himself of his anklet. Seems like an amazing gift, right? Well,  Neal’s allegiance will be tested again in the second half of this coming season. If Neal is free of his anklet and free of his treasure, will he fly the coop? After all, once a con artist, always a con artist.

1. Do Watch “Homeland” on Showtime. Claire Danes won as well as the show itself.
2. Do Go see “The Descendants”. George Clooney won as well as the film itself.
3. Do Act your age. Madonna, your dress did not fit you. I hope you fair better for the Super Bowl, but probably not.
4. Don’t be surprised if the teleprompter acts up. It’s a machine, it doesn’t have to obey your every command.
5. Don’t let Ricky Gervais host again. He was boring. Let Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy present because their singing was adorable and also on key.
6. Do let Claire Danes and Kate Winslet’s stylists pick out clothes for you. Their dresses were divine.
7. Don’t forget your eyeglasses at your table like Meryl Streep.
8. Do hand up the eyeglasses if you see she needs them. Sir, I’m looking at you when George Clooney handed them to you and you wouldn’t go up on the stage.
9. Do try to improve your Spanish since Antonio Banderas talks way too fast for your high school Spanish education.
10. Do mug the cameras like Tina Fey. It makes it more entertaining for the viewers. It isn’t the Oscars after all.
11. Do ask Baz Lurhman why Michelle Williams wasn’t cast as Daisy in “The Great Gatsby”… a great missed opportunity.
12. Don’t overtan like an Oompa Loompa… Rob Lowe take note of this one.
13. Don’t let the dog upstage even though he’s adorable speaking for “The Artist” cast.
14. Do make sure you are standing by the mic. Standing a foot away will make you very hard to hear.
15. Do enjoy yourselves since there is no alcohol at your seat for the Oscars!

Downton Abbey Season 2

When “Downton Abbey” aired in the United States, my sister was obsessed with it. I politely ignored it. I probably made fun of it. It wasn’t in my interest. Sometimes historical period pieces make me antsy or bored.

Obviously it changed… It started winning awards. Usually that peeks my interest. I like to jump on the bandwagon. What can I say.

The additional reasoning: Over Christmas break, my mother sighed… my sister and my aunts were talking about this show and my mom wanted to be a part of it. Deep down, so did I, but once again, I didn’t want to make the effort of actually putting the show into my DVD player. My sister had the answer for my laziness, “It’s only seven episodes”. That’s a magic word for me. I could get caught up and I didn’t have to spend hours watching it.

I can not tell a lie. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of “Downton Abbey”. “Downtown Abbey” deals with the life of the aristocratic England class in the early 1900′s specifically the Earl of Grantham and his family and “the downstairs” who serve them. I love both the “Upstairs” and “Downstairs” of Downton Abbey. I probably lean toward the downstairs more because they are more gossipy and who doesn’t love gossip? Apparently everyone does.

There’s something about going back in time and seeing that everyone still has the same problems we have today including the drama though maybe not as many tea sittings or wardrobe changes. I love sitting in my pajamas and seeing the Ladies go through three dress changes in an episode, plus the corsets!

For anyone who needs a little recap of who’s who, just take a look below. It took me a while to get used to this large ensemble cast of talented actors.

Who’s who in the “Upstairs”:

• Robert Crawely, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville): By far, my favorite character because he has this great character where he takes care of his family which consists of his blood family, but also those who serve him. He never wants to leave anyone on the streets.He’s a sweet mix of Colin Firth and Victor Garber.  Currently: Desperate to get back in the active army
• Countess Cora  (Elizabeth McGovern): The mother of the three daughters and wife to Robert. Behind every caring father, is a doting wife. I think there is something to love about this woman, largely her voice. I just love the way McGovern speaks… I can’t explain why.  Currently: Being the mother and trying to deal with making her house into a rest home for soldiers.
• Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery): The daughter I detest the most. She’s the oldest daughter looking for love, but she’s a hot mess. She’s also desperate and whiny. I’m sure there are some Mary fans out there… they can have her. Current status: Hopelessly in love with Matthew after all…
• Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay): The daughter I love the most. The baby of the family who is into women’s rights and has her own ideas. For instance, she wore pants one night to dinner. Gasp! I find her a breath of fresh air compared to the whiny Mary about her dismal love life. Currently: a nurse, helping in the local hospital.
• Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael): Lord, this daughter is the middle child and let me tell you, she has the middle child syndrome. No one quite loves her and she’s quite fed up with Mary’s antics. You would think this would make me feel for her, but she does some dirty deeds that make me feel not so sorry for her.  Currently: Learning to drive and kiss the local married farmer.
• Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith): Professor McGonagall, I mean the Dowager Countess is hysterical as the sarcastic older woman of the house who will not have change. Her comments make the show. Favorite scene was when she was afraid of electricity.  Currently: Being cranky about the War and the changes.
• Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens): Cousin to Lord Grantham who will be the heir to Downton Abbey. He’s a city Lawyer boy who is still adjusting to his new life. Was engaged to Mary, but she never gave him an answer until it was to late. Currently: Serving in the army, engaged to “this blonde” girl. Mary is not happy.
• Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton):  the late prime minister of Doctor Who who is creating havoc in Downton. She and the Dowager Countess are cousins and they are currently going at each other. Currently: Working in the hospital with Sybil. She was the wife of a Doctor.

Who’s Who in the “Downstairs”:

• Mr. Carson (Jim Carter): The Head butler who needs everything in tip top shape. Has a special fondness for Mary as though she is his own daughter. Currently: On bed rest after his anxiety attack with his staff getting shorter and shorter due to the war.
• Mrs. Hughes(Phyllis Logan): The head of the maids, I think. I always get confused with positions still. She’s a great woman who is a motherly figure for all the others, but who also loves gossip. Cue the air vents she can listen through. Currently: Working as hard as ever.
• Mrs. O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran): The woman you love to hate. She’s the character who is evil and always concocting a plan with Thomas. Currently: Still maid to Cora. Cora deserves better. Helped get Thomas back home.
• Thomas (Rob James-Collier): At the end of season one, this former footman enlisted in the army as a medic to escape a possible pink slip. He a horrible person with an evil sneer. Currently: Back in Downton after shooting himself in the hand to get back home. He and Mrs. O’Brien are not done with scheming.
• Anna (Joanne Froggatt): Maid who is hopelessly in love with Mr. Bates. Currently:  She’s determined to never fall in love with no one else after Mr. Bates has to leave.  This is one of the relationships you root for. In the end of the first episode, they shared their first kiss.
• John Bates ( Brendan Coyle): Former Valet to Earl Grantham who has a bad limp from a previous war injury. He’s very chivalrous and never wants to hurt anyone. Currently: Left his position after his wicked wife returns. He still loves Anna.
• Daisy (Sophie McShera): Works closely with the cook, Mrs Patmore. If there was every a character besides Mary who is a hot mess, it would be Daisy. Here’s the difference: I like Daisy. Currently: The girlfriend to William. Too bad she kinda doesn’t want be his girl.
• William (Thomas Howes): Footman who always wants to be something bigger. Loves Daisy in a cute high school way. Currently: Enlisted in the war. His father didn’t want him to and the Dowager Countess had stopped him from enlisting by giving him a fake medical condition. Too bad, that problem cleared up. Doesn’t know that Daisy doesn’t want him.
• Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol): The cook who needs to always be in control of her kitchen. She abuses Daisy, but in a family kind of way of yelling at her when she does the wrong thing. Currently:  Her eyes are all fixed thanks to the Earl. Taught Sybil how to cook. She found out that her nephew was killed in the army for cowardice.
• Branson (Allen Leech): The Irish chauffeur to the Crawleys who has a love for politics. Currently: Taught Edith to drive and is madly in love with Sybil. He already told her, but Sybil hasn’t told anyone.  One of my favorite characters.
• Mosley (Kevin Doyle): The servant to Matthew and Isobel Crowely. Doesn’t want to enlist in the Army.

For once, a movie is not about George Clooney. Well at least, not his acting.

“The Ides of March” is about Clooney sitting behind the director’s chair and taking a very minimal role in the acting. Sure, he may play Gov. Mike Morris who is running for the Democratic nomination for President, but it’s not all about him.  You actually forget it’s his race.

You look to Ryan Gosling’s character Stephen Meyers who is second in command, in running Morris’ campaign.  It’s about this guy and how this guy’s life, everything from his code of ethics to his personal life, is and will be changed. It’s about getting this nomination for Morris in anyway that Meyers can. Meyers does not want to go back to a consulting firm, his “before” lifestyle.

“The Ides of March” is all about politics and how it changes everyone involved. Politics can affect anyone, not just the person running for the position. It can run from the media covering the campaign to the campaign manager, right down to an intern in the campaign.

It can make them cynical. It can make them irrational. It can change them from what they believed in. It could even kill you.

“The Ides of March” in historical times is the premonition of the downfall of Caesar. In the movie, it’s those involved in politics that will see a downfall whether in their judgement, their jobs or even their trust from those surrounding them just like Caesar felt from Brutus.

Clooney doesn’t need fancy explosions or expensive fight sequences to get this point across. You just need a great cast of actors including Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood and Marissa Tomei who can read and shall we say, act the lines that were written.

What Clooney’s previous directing attempts including “Leatherheads” and “Good Night and Good Luck” were missing was the acting of Ryan Gosling who took on the character that was Stephen Meyers.  It was the blending of Gosling’s talents and Clooney’s direction with simple, but contrasting shots such as the cameras focusing on Gosling standing behind an American Flag when Morris is speaking or a close up that make the story work.

Clooney wasn’t aiming for a movie that would gain him a golden statue named Oscar. He already has one. He was aiming at what we didn’t have to look too far from our own present day politics to see… politics and the dirty, dirty game that it is and always will be.

Oscar Nominations:

1. Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Let’s be frank: Most movies I see are for two reasons 1) They have an actor I love in it or 2) Oscars preparation. I guess you can say I love plots, but generally if I’m paying, it’s one of the two reasons above.

Now you’re thinking, how can she prepare if she doesn’t even know what’s nominated yet?  Now I’ve made you ask yourself, when are the nominations? In case you were wondering, my girlfriend Jennifer Lawrence is announcing them January 24th. However, if you’re a savvy movie-goer or you at least open the paper, you will be quick to realize what movies most likely will be nominated and thus can pick the movies you can see ahead of time before the nominations… cue “The Artist”

“The Artist” is probably past the buzz of movie talk and it’s probably pretty drunk right now. I think it’s going to be a downright alcoholic when January 24th comes around. Here’s why:

This movie sustains energy for an hour and forty minutes. Yes, we know a lot of movies can do that, but the question is, could Mission Impossible 4 bring in it’s money if there was no sound, just background music? I didn’t think so. Maybe, but not likely.

“The Artist” captivated my audience. No one was talking, no one was munching their popcorn. Now why not? It’s not like they are going to miss a spoken line by chomping too  loudly. I can’t really describe why for everyone, but for me it was the old Hollywood Glamour of just making it big. “The Artist” reminded me very much of  Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain”.

“The Artist” spans from 1927 to 1932. It deals with George Valentin, a silent film actor and Peppy Miller, a girl who accidentally falls into showbiz. “The Artist” like “Singin’ in the Rain” deals with the shift of silent films to talkies. While “Singin’ in the Rain” is a funny take on the shift of movies, “The Artist” does not.  George Valentin  will lose his job and in his place will be the girl he befriended, the charming Peppy Miller with her penciled-on beauty mark to make her special.  One of my favorite scenes is the staircase scene. Besides the optical illusion on my eyes, you see the connection Peppy and George have. She goes up the stairs and he goes down.

With no lines, the actors facial expressions are all they really have to tell their story: George Valentin and Peppy Miller are played respectively by Jean Dujardin and Bérénic Bejo. Each hold the screen as this old Hollywood glamour. A raise of an eyebrow or a tear down a cheek are just perfect. Another fabulous actor that can’t be forgetting is Valentin’s dog who is his faithful companion. John Goodman and James Cromwell get a favorable mention because Goodman is hysterical puffing his huge cigar making hollywood business as Cromwell acts as the dutiful butler.

Oscar Nominations:

1. Best Picture
2. Jean Dujardin: Best Actor in a Leading Role
3. Bérénice Bejo: Best Actress in a Leading Role
4. Best Art Direction
5. Michael Hazanavicius: Best Directing
6. Best Film Editing
7. Best Original Score
8. Best Original Screenplay

What is a week with Marilyn? A trip across the world? A week spent in bed?  A week with Marilyn is a crash course of trying to understand what it means to fall in love with a person and not with the movie star.

“People always see Marilyn Monroe. As soon as they realize I’m not her, they run.” Michelle Willliams speaks this line in the film and it tells the main story of Marilyn Monroe. I don’t know much about Marilyn Monroe except that she was sex symbol, she had a very light airy voice and bleached blonde hair way before Gwen Stefani. For instance, this film takes place during her third marriage with Arthur Miller.

“My Week with Marilyn” is a sweet film following the making of “The Sleeping Prince” in the early 1950′s which would later be changed to the “The Prince and the Showgirl” where Marilyn Monroe is brought over to England to star in this film that is directed and stars Laurence Olivier. The problem is there are two divas on this film, Monroe and Olivier.  The story is told from the point of view of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne). Clark was an 3rd assistant director to Olivier.  The film is based off Clark’s book, “The Prince, The Showgirl and Me”.

Clark like every other man falls in love with the beauty that is Marilyn. People warn him that she will break his heart. That doesn’t stop Clark from throwing dates with Lucy (Emma Watson) the dresser to spend time with Marilyn. Side note: It’s a good part for Watson,but it will take time for her to grow out of her Hermione Granger attitude.

“My Week with Marilyn” pertains to what many celebrities deal with today… the price and pressure of fame. Marilyn is a pill popper, she travels with an entourage and always needs to be reassured she is doing a good job. In the end she just wants to be loved and cared for.

What celebrities also have to deal with is age. Marilyn is 30 in the film. She jokes she can’t believe she’s already been married three times. She also giggles after kissing Clark who is only 23, the  youngest person she has kissed in a while.  Olivier is probably in his forties. His wive, Vivien could not play the part in the film because she was too old. She was afraid Olivier would leaver her for Marilyn.  Hollywood obsessed with age and it is evident across the globe and through history.

Michelle Williams was an absolute darling. She brought the character of Marilyn Monroe alive. Once again, I only saw “Some Like it Hot” once. I loved Williams giggle, but also her sense of uncertainty about herself. It will be interesting to see if Williams can score an Oscar nomination.

The other actor that stood out was Dame Judi Dench. Dench played Dame Sybil Thorndike. While Olivier yelled at Monroe for showing up late and keeping Thorndike, Thorndike never yelled at her. I thinks she felt sorry for Monroe. She wanted Monroe to feel comfortable. Monroe would only live once.  I also loved her attention to Clark. It was his first film and she wanted him to have a great time.

The film sparked my interest in who Marilyn Monroe was. It’s time to rewatch “Some Like it Hot”.

Oscar Nominations:

1. Kenneth Branagh: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
2. Michelle William: Best Actress in a Leading Role