Oscar Fashion

Okay, so I have to admit that this year's Oscar's ceremony was a big let down for me. I was hoping that Alec and Steve would be hilarious; they were not. I was hoping for entertainment; all I got was interpretive street dancing. The only upsets were in the foreign language and, I think, like, sound mixing categories. Every acting award was pretty much a sure thing. That means that we had to look to fashion and entertainment to get us through the show, and I must admit that both were a little sad. I am not saying the fashion was bad. No, in fact there was more interest this year than many other years. What really disappointed me was that almost no one showed up for this year's Awards show.

Let me make a list of actors I missed seeing on the Red Carpet:

Jack Nicholson (2 years MIA. What gives?)

Hugh Jackman (Wish you would have hosted, my friend)

Anne Hathaway (Your singing last year rocked. I also wanted to see what you would wear.)

Julia Roberts (It was fun to see you all cocky and drunk at the Globes. Where were you?)

Reese Witherspoon

Nicole Kidman

Emily Blunt

Halle Berry

Drew Barrymore

Jennifer Garner

Marion Cotillard

Natalie Portman (Your skit last year was sooooo fun.)

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (I guess you two decided to skip ALL the Awards shows. Uh oh.)

Hilary Swank (Girl, you rocked it at the after party. If you would have showed your tush on the Red Carpet, you would have made Miley Cyrus run away in shame.)

Don't you wish you would have seen those folks at the show instead of Miley Cyrus, Taylor Lautner, and Amanda Seyfried? I sure do.

That having been said, let me tell you my pics for best dressed.

1. Cameron Diaz. Did I ever in a million years, think that I would be praising the fashion of unkempt surfer girl Cameron Diaz? No, I did not. However, look at her:

Home run, girl.

2. Sigourney Weaver. Guys, this woman is 60. I am pretty depressed right now. I am exactly half her age, and she is about 20 times sexier than I'll ever be:

Hot, right?

3. Meryl Streep. Speaking of older ladies who looked amazing, check out Meryl:

4. And Damn Helen Mirren. Whoops, I mean Dame Helen Mirren:

Doesn't that make you just want to cry? No, me either. I am pretty delighted that some of the hottest ladies at the Oscar's could be Miley's grandmas.

5. Sandra Bullock. See, I am not a Sandy hater! I think she looked amazing, though perhaps a wee bit too shiny at times. And I would kill to know how she gets her hair to look like that.

6. Sarah Jessica Parker. I know I will take heat for this one. This Chanel get up was a risk, but I love it. Just close your eyes for a minute and imagine this on Audrey Hepburn at the 1960 Oscar's. Wouldn't she have looked divine in this? I think SJ did too.

7 & 8. Here, I am going to have to go with a tie between the fun print twins: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams. These girls looked pretty, no?

I do wish Rachel's dress had some different colors in it, but I am not going to hold it against her.

9. Gabourey Sidibe. I have already professed my love for Gabby. She has just handled herself beautifully throughout this whole Awards season, and I thought she looked just radiant on Sunday:

10. Tina Fey. Honey, let's admit it. You looked weird at the Globes. No one will ever hold that against you because you are a comedienne, and funny ladies can wear what they like. But you are more than a funny lady. You are the woman all men fantasized about every Saturday night when you came on and did Weekend Update on SNL. Thank you for dressing like it last week:

11 & 12. Anna Kendrick and Elizabeth Banks. These two tie for first place in the "Would Have Been Better in a Different Color" category. But they still look just lovely:

13. Queen Latifah. While I am not nuts about all aspects of this gown, I must say that this looks amazing on Queen La. This may just be a personal best for her.

14. Kate Winslet. I originally thought I would rank her higher, but this dress is just a bit too plain to get an "A." Still, Kate looks regal and gorgeous.

15. Kristen Stewart. Look how pretty she looks! I think she knows it too. She's almost smiling:

And now, I guess I'll have to get around to The Not So Good list. This year, it was pretty obvious, I think.

1. Miley Cyrus. Her dress did not fit her. End of story. Also, she is, what, 16? This outfit, hair, and makeup would have looked amazing on someone a bit older:

2. Charlize Theron. Imagine Charlize in the frock above. Stunning, right? She should fire her stylist now for letting her wear this instead:

Oh my goodness, I am shuddering. That dress will go down in fashion history as the "boob flower" dress. But it is also WRINKLED, and her makeup DOES NOT GO with it.

3. Zoe Saldana. So I guess some people will feel about SJP's Chanel as I do about Zoe's Givenchy. Clearly it was a big risk. I just think this one did not pay off.

4. Diane Kruger. So, you know how I praised her SAG dress as being one of the best ever? Well, it was. Here it is, in case you've forgotten:

I still gasp when I see that gorgeous dress.

Why, oh why, did she settle for this mess as her Oscar gown, then?

I will never understand that one.

So, there you have it. There were definitely some good looks at the Oscar's, but I have to say I was a wee bit disappointed not to see more A listers.

The Best Films of 2009

Okay, so I have been a horrible blogger thus far. My husband started his blog after I gave him the idea and has FAR exceeded me in blogging. I think he has created 45 entries or so in the last 2 months. Kudos, MJ! In my defense, let me say that January and February were horrible months from hell. From the miserable weather to the sicknesses that have plagued my household to the mounds of grading I inflicted upon myself, let's just say that I did not have a whole lot of free time.

I meant to do my Best Films of 2009 blog at the start of January. Then I decided there were still some films I needed to see before doing this, and I decided I would try to post this right before the Oscar's. Foiled again. Oh well. It is March 10th, and here is my post.

Let me start by saying that I think this was a good year for movies, AND a good year for me and the movies, especially considering I have an 18 month old. I actually got to see 8 of the 10 best picture nominees along with some other gems. There were only a few "must see" films I never got the chance to see. The Blind Side, An Education, The Messenger, Invictus, Star Trek (I never EVER thought I would say "I want to see" and "Star Trek" in the same sentence, but I have heard too many good things), and A Single Man come to mind.

Here are the films, good and bad, that I did get to see this year:

Adventureland

A Serious Man

Julie & Julia

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Crazy Heart

District 9

500 Days of Summer

Sugar

Inglourious Basterds

Where the Wild Things Are

Up

Up in the Air

The Informant!

The Proposal

The Hangover

Sin Nombre

Food, Inc.

Public Enemies

I enjoyed each one of these films except one. Want to guess which was the only film on this list that made me want to hit Eject after about 15 minutes? Anyone? Okay, I'll tell you: The Proposal. That, coupled with the fact that All About Steve won Sandra Bullock a Razzie, has made me a bit leery about The Blind Side, I must admit. The story itself will undoubtedly be inspiring, but I am just having a bit of trouble jumping on the Sandra Bullock as best actress bandwagon. Since she has already nabbed her Oscar, this is a moot point, BUT, I still have my doubts. It seems as if the Academy is basically rewarding her for finally choosing a movie that does not suck. That was not the case with The Proposal. If you want to see a funny movie that begins with "The," please go for The Hangover or, better yet, The Informant! (I mean, the latter even has an exclamation point thrown in at no extra charge!)

So, I saw 21 films and have decided to list my top ten. I am proud to say that, as this was such a good year for movies, these 10 are all actually really good. I would like to purchase most of them and will plan on showing the 2 children's films to my son as soon as he is developmentally ready for them. So, without further ado...

10. 500 Days of Summer

Any other year, this film would rank much higher on my list. It would have probably been in my top 5 for 2008. It is a truly excellent romantic comedy -- one of 2 good romantic comedies I saw this year (The other was the delightful Julie & Julia). Even though this is a film about a romance that does not go quite right, it is still a breath of fresh air. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were cast perfectly in this film. They had terrific on-screen chemistry. The clothes and music were almost as important as the actors in this film and were both gorgeous. If you have not seen, 500 Days, especially if you are in your 20s or 30s and love things like The Smiths, Ikea, Anthropologie, and cheesy Hall & Oats dance numbers, add it to your Netflix queue now.

9. Where the Wild Things Are

There was a lot of hullabaloo about whether this movie was too moody or dark for children. I say phooey to that. This movie reflects the true complexities of childhood and does not sugarcoat the anguish all children feel at some points in their lives. This film is definitely suitable for children about eight and up, I would say, and is exquisitely acted by the young Max Records, who plays the lead role of Max. Beyond that, Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers deserve high praise for turning Maurice Sendak's brilliant but very short children's book into a full-length feature film that fully embodies the spirit of the beloved classic.

8. District 9

This film had gritty imagery, a subtle political subtext, terrific acting, and most of all a gripping story; in short, this film had everything that Avatar lacked. That both were nominated in the same best picture category is evidence that science fiction films have come a long way lately. However, the juggernaut that is Avatar does not hold a candle to District 9 in the story department. The aliens in this film are not shiny and blue, nor do they have many human sympathizers. However, they prove they have more intelligence and compassion than their human hosts as they attempt to escape from post-Apartheid (but not really) Johannesburg. I am not a huge sci-fi person, but I really loved District 9.

7. A Serious Man

I love the Coen brothers. Love them. I have seen 10 of their 17 films and can't wait to see the rest. This year's release did not get the attention of last year's Burn After Reading, for the obvious reason of its casting. Whereas last year's Coen film boasted Pitt, Clooney, Malkovitch, McDormand, and Swinton, A Serious Man featured no recognizable stars. However, I believe that Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays the lead character, mathematics professor Larry Gopnik, might very well become one. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance, and I honestly believe that it was pretty tragic that he was not nominated for an Oscar as well. The more I think about this film, the more I like it. Gopnik, a modern-day Job, suffers countless blows: a rapidly dissolving marriage, academic bribery, a delinquent son, a depressed brother with a nasty sebaceous cyst, and temptation in the form of one Mrs. Samsky, the desperate housewife next door. It is enough to test anyone's faith, but this film will only make you laugh. Also, you might consider naming your firstborn son Sy Ableman. (Hey I just noticed his name is "able man." Boy, those Coen brothers sure are clever.)

6. The Informant!

This! film! title! makes! me! want! to! use! lots! of! exclamation! points! Okay, I'll stop that now, but it was sort of fun for a minute. One of the great crimes committed by this year's Academy was nominating Matt Damon for entirely the wrong part. Sure, I am sure he is swell as the Dutch rugby boy with the fun accent in Invictus. However, I will bet you a bag of jelly beans that he is nowhere near as much fun in that movie as he is in this one. Damon packed on 20 pounds and an awesome mustache to play Mark Whitacre, the wacky and ever so slightly unreliable informant who helped to take down Archer Daniels Midland in the 1990s. This film was much better than I even expected it to be and, like so many of this year's best films, has really stayed with me since I saw it last summer. I can't wait to buy this film and watch it many more times.

5. Up

I bet you have seen this movie, and so I really am not going to tell you anything you don't already know: that Dug is one of the best animated characters you will ever encounter, that the opening montage with Carl and Ellie will make you cry more in 4 minutes than Love Story times The Notebook times Titanic, that Ed Asner was the PERFECT casting choice, that the score is just delightful, and that this is a movie that you will want to watch over and over and over. I want to buy a time machine, go back to 1985 and show this film to my 6-year old self RIGHT NOW.

4. Inglourious Basterds

Who doesn't adore Quentin Tarantino? I mean, I know that Grindhouse was a disappointment, but I forgave him. I am glad I did because otherwise I might have been reluctant to watch one of his greatest films ever, Inglourious Basterds. The preview for this film is very misleading as Brad Pitt is nowhere near the star of this film. One man steals every single scene he is in -- the same man who won every single "Best Supporting Actor" award of the season: the amazing Christoph Waltz. You should watch this film for no other reason than to see this hilarious Nazi in action. However, I must also take a moment to praise another actor who has not received the attention she deserves for this movie: Melanie Laurent. I have no idea why Diane Kruger, who was just fine, was the female representative of this film at all the awards ceremonies. I assume that Laurent, a French actress, must either have been too busy or just indifferent towards it all. Anyway, she is amazing as Shoshanna Dreyfus, the Jewish girl hell-bent on revenge. Thank you, Quentin, for continuing to show women who talk tough and act tougher on the screen. It makes up for the pitiful females we see in 97% of all romantic comedies.

3. Precious (You already know what this is based on.)

First of all: Spoiler Alert!

Guys, I could write a whole post about this movie. At some point I just might. Let me first say that my favorite parts of this amazing film were those that occurred in the classroom. Almost every one of my friends is a teacher, and there is a strong chance that anyone reading this blog entry is an educator, so let me just say that this movie says powerful things about education. Let me also be quick to say that the thing it says is not "One great teacher ( a la Freedom Writers, Dead Poet's Society, Dangerous Minds, etc.) can change students' lives." Yes, this film does include a wonderful, caring teacher and, yes, she does help to change her students' lives. However, that is not the focus. In the film, it is Precious who has to make the steps -- painful, dangerous, gut-wrenching steps -- to get her from the hell that is her home to the school filled with misfits and delinquents that cracks open the door of life and some semblance of opportunity. If I told you that the end of a film featured a teenager who had 2 children who were the products of incest, who was H.I.V. positive, who lived in a half-way house, who read on a 7th grade level, and who had decided never to see her mother again, you would think that film a terrible tragedy. What Precious is, however, is the amazing triumph of love, determination and hope over hatred, poverty, and misery.

While I am talking about Precious, I need to mention my love and admiration for Gabourey Sidibe. If you haven't followed her story, take a few minutes to Google her. You will find that she had very little prior acting experience and that she is one of the most bubbly, fun women you could ever imagine. Which shows you just how extraordinary her portrayal of Precious is. Please don't think that I am just a bitter Sandra Bullock hater. I have so enjoyed hearing SB on stage at these awards ceremonies. She has been very funny and endearing. I also think it was seriously awesome that she showed up in person to get her Razzie. However, I think that when I finally get to see her as the tough-talking Leigh Ann Tuohy in The Blind Side, I will probably say, "Huh. She did a good job portraying this Southern lady. She dyed her hair blonde and teased it. Good for her." When I walked out of the theater after seeing Precious, all I could do was sit in stunned silence. And that is because of Gabourey.

2. Up in the Air

I am beginning to wonder if it was a wise choice to write this list from #10 to #1 because I am getting tired, and I still have my 2 favorite films to discuss. I am just going to shake that feeling off and tell you that you need to see this movie, and the main reason is not the ever-sexy George Clooney. It is because this film is, in a way, a love letter to all of the poor Americans who have lost their jobs in the recession. As you probably know, every fired person in this film is someone who was recently laid off. Jason Reitman told them to treat the camera like the person who laid them off. It is actually quite amazing that what comes across is not, in most places rage, but unbelievable sadness. For me it really helped to put a human face to the news stories that report all of the many job losses across the country. In addition to that, it is a story of two loners who grapple with the difficulties that come with actually engaging in one another's lives. Vera Farmiga has never been sexier, and Clooney has never been more introspective. I know my husband and I will buy this film and will enjoy it for years and years to come.

1. The Hurt Locker

My #1 probably seems awfully safe, especially as we all watched with glee as Kathryn Bigelow took home 6 Oscars (most notably, Best Picture and Best Director) on Sunday night. The reason why I have it as #1, however, has nothing to do with that. Honestly, this was not my favorite film of the year. 500 Days of Summer sure was more enjoyable. Up was a lot more fun. Precious was, in many ways, more moving. However, this truly was the best film. This is a film about an Army bomb squad, led by the daring Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), who diffuses IEDs in Baghdad. If this sounds like something you do not want to watch, you are not alone. This is the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in Oscar history. However, many people will soon check out this movie, and so should you. We have been at war for almost a decade. I actually just got a little teary writing that last sentence. Is it not sad? For all the war has cost America: for all the attention it has demanded from us, for all the political fights it has sparked, for all the resources it has demanded, many Americans seem to know little about what goes on in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Even I, who have two brave brothers who have been deployed numerous times to both countries, know little about what it is really like to be in such a place. Hollywood has had a very difficult time translating this unpopular war to the screen. Until now. Which is why I am so very thankful to Kathryn Bigelow, who has created a movie that is not just important, but is also as exciting as hell.