Powerful viral video from Ridley Scott's "Prometheus"

I've listed it as one of my most expected films of the year. This recent viral video only heightens it on that matter. Written by John Spaihts ("The Darkest Hour") and Damon Lindelof ("Lost" creator), directed by Ridley Scott, starring Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce.

Cannes'12 homages Marilyn Monroe with Official Poster

Watch "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore", Oscar'12 winner short film

Oscar results, photos, and video highlights

Over with another edition of the Academy Awards in a year I was extremely happy with many of the films, therefore leaving room in my conscience to accept many variations of the the final poles. Mainly predictable, I was only shocked right off the overture when Richardson took over Lubetzki, because despite having done a wonderful job in Hugo, this was the goal of honor Tree of Life deserved so bad. As you can see by my picks, I didn't for a minute believed Meryl would ravish her third statuette but I joyfully applauded. Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter won their second consecutive Oscar (Best Editing), after The Social Network.

My red carpet highlights would be the powerful Brad and Angie, dazzling Jessica Chastain, enthralling Penélope Cruz, gorgeous Emma Stone, sparkling Mila Jovovich, plus Nick Nolte, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin and the irreverent The Dictator (scroll to bottom to watch the video).

 

A much more sober ceremony that last year's, host by an inspired and witty Billy Crystal, dedicated in its numbers and performances as much as in its awards to the history and the past of the seventh art. We all giggled at imagining how would Dujardin deal with the necessity of a speech in case of win and I must underline it was my favorite speech of the night. The best introduction, Ben Stiller and Emma Stone.

The Artist and Hugo took home 5 golden men, followed by The Iron Lady with 2.

WHITE UNDERLINED: Got it right.

BLUE UNDERLINED: Didn't get it.

WHITE CROSSED: Got it wrong.

Score without alternatives: 16 out of 21 (76%)

Score with alternatives: 18 out of 21 (85%)

Woody didn't show up, The Dictator did.

 

BEST FILM
The Artist
Alternative: Hugo
Second alternative: The Descendants

BEST DIRECTOR 

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Alternative: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
Alternative: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)

Alternative: Moneyball (Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Alternative: George Clooney (The Descendants)


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Mery Streep (The Iron Lady)

Viola Davis ("The Help")
Alternative: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Alternative: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Alternative: Jessica Chastain (The Help)


BEST ANIMATED FILM

Rango
Alternative: Puss in Boots


BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Separation (Iran)
Alternative: Footnote (Israel)


BEST DOCUMENTARY

Undefeated

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Alternative: Hell and Back Again



 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Hugo (Robert Richardson)

Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubetzki)
Alternative: The Artist (Guillaume Schiffman)


BEST EDITING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo
Alternative: The Descendants


BEST ART DIRECTION
Hugo
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hugo
Alternative: The Artist


BEST MAKE-UP
The Iron Lady
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo
Alternative: War Horse


BEST SOUND EDITING
Hugo
Alternative: Drive


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Hugo
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
War Horse (John Williams)

Alternative: The Artist (Ludovice Bource)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man on Muppet (The Muppets)

SPECIAL

WILL WOODY ALLEN SHOW UP

 No.

WILL THE DICTATOR SHOW UP

Yes.

My Oscar'12 Ballots

Tic-tac, few hours for the 84th Academy Awards to stop tickling and finally bursting into flames. I don't care for the fashionable hipster despise for the Oscars, as it is for me indeed the most exciting event of the cinematic year. Among the unfair left-outs and the marketed jammed-ins, despite some easy predictions due to the December-January-February award lane, The Road to the Oscars, there's always a large room for surprise and it does never lose its magic. The red carpet struts with the glamor of some of the greatest performers of the planet and the pulpit homages the art and the industry of the reels. From controversial not-totally-narrative film Tree of Life, to a black&white movie by a French crew, to the very slow-paced alternative-structured British Tinker Taylor by a Swedish director and other crew, to a Parisian film capable of triggering interests from Luis Buñuel to Salvador Dali, to the sheer low-budget Iranian A Separation that even got a Best Original Screenplay slot, to the sunday-afternoon, womanized, straight-comedy Bridesmaids. Time to cut off some accusations.

I filled my ballots with alternatives and added alternative titles I think would have the most quality do be in the nominees. Those come from the 64 2011 films I watched, therefore leaving out great pieces I can't consider, probably like Young Adult, Rampart or Miss Bala.

Scroll to the end of the post to find the SPECIAL BETS and make your owns.

 BEST FILM
The Artist

First alternative: Hugo

Second alternative: The Descendants

Would be a deserving hell of a surprise: Tree of Life

If I could add 10 more films to the nominees: Carnage, The Skin I Live In, We Have a Pope, Drive, Submarine, A Separation, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Take Shelter, The Guard, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.

BEST DIRECTOR 

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Alternative: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

If I could add 10 more directors to the nominees: Roman Polanski (Carnage), Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In), Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Bennett Miller (Moneyball), Thomas Alfredson (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy), Asghar Farhadi (A Separation), Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin), David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Steve McQueen (Shame)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)

Alternative: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)

If I could add 10 more original screenplays to the nominees: We Have a Pope (Nanni Moretti), The Guard (Jonathan M. McDonagh), Tree of Life (Terrence Malick), Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols), Win Win (Thomas McCarthy), 50/50 (Jonathan Levine), I Saw the Devil (Hoon-jung Park), Crazy Stupid Love (Dan Fogelman), The Debt (Jane Goldman, Mathew Vaugh, Peter Straughtan), Shame (Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)

Alternative: Moneyball (Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin)

If I could add 5 more adapted screenplays to the nominees: Carnage (Yasmina Reza & Roman Polanski), The Skin I Live In (Pedro Almodóvar), Drive (Houssein Amini), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay), Cars 2 (Ben Queen)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jean Dujardin ("The Artist")

Alternative: George Clooney (The Descendants)

If I could add 10 more male leading performances to the nominees: Christoph Waltz (Carnage), John C. Reilly (Carnage), Brad Pitt (Tree of Life), Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Michel Piccoli (We Have a Pope), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Peyman Maadi (A Separation), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Viola Davis ("The Help")

Alternative: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

If I could add 10 more female leading performances to the nominees: Kate Winslet (Carnage), Jodie Foster (Carnage), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), Leila Hatami (A Separation), Emily Browing (Sleeping Beauty), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Emma Stone (The Help), Carey Mulligan (Shame), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Keira Knighley (A Dangerous Method)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Alternative: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)

If I could add 10 more male supporting performances to the nominees: John Goodman (The Artist), Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris), Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March), Paul Giamatti (The Ides of March), Christopher Plummer (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Colin Firth (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy), Seth Rogen (50/50), Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Alternative: Jessica Chastain (The Help)

If I could add 10 more female supporting performances to the nominees: Jessica Chastain (Tree of Life), Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter), Chlöe Grace Moretz (Hugo), Marion Cotilard (Midnight in Paris), Sareh Bayat (A Separation), Sarina Farhadi (A Separation), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), Emily Mortimer (My Idiot Brother), Charlotte Grainsbourg (Melancholia), Cate Blanchett (Hanna)



BEST ANIMATED FILM

Rango

Alternative: Puss in Boots



BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Separation (Iran)

Alternative: Footnote (Israel)



BEST DOCUMENTARY
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Alternative: Hell and Back Again


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubetzki)

Alternative: The Artist (Guillaume Schiffman)

If I could add 10 more photographies to the nominees: The Skin I Live In (José Luís Alcaine), We Have a Pope (Alessandro Pesci), Drive (Newton Thomas Sigel), Moneyball (Wally Pfister), Take Shelter (Adam Stone), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Eduardo Serra), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Seamus McGarvey), Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (Hoyte van Hoytema), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Jeff Cronenweth), Hanna (Alwin H. Kushler)



BEST EDITING
Hugo

Alternative: The Descendants



BEST ART DIRECTION
Hugo

Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2



BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hugo

Alternative: The Artist


BEST MAKE-UP
The Iron Lady

Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo

Alternative: War Horse



BEST SOUND EDITING
Hugo

Alternative: Drive



BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Hugo


Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2



BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
War Horse (John Williams)


Alternative: The Artist (Ludovice Bource)

If I could add 10 scores of any kind to the nominees: The Skin I Live In (original, Alberto Iglesias), Tree of Life (non-original, misc.), Midnight in Paris (non-original, misc.), Drive (original, Cliff Martinez), Moneyball (original, Mychael Danna), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (original, Alexandre Desplat), The Ides of March (original, Alexandre Desplat), We Need to Talk About Kevin (original, Johnny Greenwood), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (original, Trent Raznor&Atticus Ross), Shame (original, Harry Escott)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Men on Muppet (The Muppets)

SPECIAL

WILL WOODY ALLEN SHOW UP

 No.

WILL THE DICTATOR SHOW UP

Yes.

Malick, Coens, Wright, McDonagh: new films, new photos and synopsis

Four great filmmakers of our time, from the looming, invisible Terrence to the American film regeneration auteurs, Joel and Ethan, to the romantic Joe, to the most promising rising screen storyteller, Martin. What brings them so close right now is the expectation build up their fueling 2012 with, having recently released the first images of their next films. And its all thrilling synopsis with outstanding casts. This is via Collider.

Lawless, written and directed by Terrence Malick. Two intersecting love triangles, in a story of sexual obsession and betrayal, set against the music scene in Austin, Texas. With Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett.

Inside Llewyn Lewis, written and directed by Coen Brothers. A singer and songwriter
wanders in the New York folk music scene in the 1960's. As a note, it is not certain if the film is due to premiere in 2012 or 2013. It will be another genre exercise by the team, a musical this time. With Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman.

Anna Karenina, written by Tom Stoppard (based upon the book by Leo Tolstoy) and directed by Joe Wright. "The story unfolds in its original late-19th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.". With Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Kelly McDonald, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, and Ruth Wilson.

Seven Psychopaths, written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Marty, a screenwriter who struggles to finish his script "Seven Psychopaths". Bill, his best friend, a dog thief who wants to help him no matter what. Hans is Bill's boss, a religious violent guy and an expert in stealing dogs and returning them in exchange for the whoever-finds-it reward. Charlie, a psychopathic gangster who seeks revenge after his beloved shih tzu dog is kidnapped by Bill and Hans. A tale of impulsive violence that will provide the finest inspiration for Marty. With Colin Farrel, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.

WGA's winners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 

Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen) 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, based on the book written by Kaui Hart Hemming) 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY 

Better This World (Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de La Vega)

DRAMA SERIES 
Breaking Bad (Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett) 

COMEDY SERIES 

Modern Family (Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Carol Leifer, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker) 

NEW SERIES 
Homeland (Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Gideon Raff, Meredith Stiehm) 

EPISODIC DRAMA 

"Box Cutter" (Breaking Bad) (Vince Gillian) and "The Good Soldier" (Homeland) (Henry Bromell) 

EPISODIC COMEDY 

"Caught in the Act" (Modern Family) (Steve Levitan & Jeffrey Richman) LONG FORM ORIGINAL Cinema Verite (David Seltzer) 

LONG FORM ADAPTED 

Too Big to Fail (Peter Gould, based on the book written by Andrew Ross Sorkin) 

ANIMATION 

"Homer the Father" (The Simpsons) (Joel H. Cohen)

You can check out the rest here.

Salaviza strikes again

After the surprising outrun with the Golden Palm for Best Short Film with Arena in 2009, Portuguese young filmmaker João Salaviza walks passed the German gates with a Golden Bear, also for a short film, for his most recent Rafa. The accomplishment grows his curriculum even chunkier as he currently works on a now even more expected feature film Mountain.


"At six in the morning, Rafa finds out his mother is being held by the police. On a friend's motto, crosses the bridge and goes to a police department in the center of Lisbon in order to visit her and await her release. The hours pass. And Rafa doesn't want to come back home alone." (translated)

Portuguese Circle of Online Critics | Círculo de Críticos Online Portugueses

Inspired by the Brazilian League of Film Blogs, the Portuguese Circle of Online Critics states as follows (translated):

"(...) a selected group of online Portuguese film critics, which labor chiefly centers on classifying the movies premiering monthly in the Portuguese theaters, in order to produce a set of tops providing appropriate statistical data. The PCOC may also devote itself to the creation of special tops (decades, filmmakers, genres) and to an annual award (which name will be defined afterwards) regarding the best films of the year."

Among the crew, so many of our fellows and most admired bloggers:

Catarina D'Oliveira (Close-Up), Gonçalo Trindade (Ante-Cinema), Inês Moreira Santos (Espalha-Factos), João Pinto (Portal Cinema), João Samuel (Dial P for Popcorn), Jorge Rodrigues (Dial P for Popcorn), Miguel Ferreira (A Última Sessão), Nuno Reis (Antestreia), Pedro Ponte (Ante-Cinema), Samuel Andrade (Keyzer Soze's Place), Tiago Ramos (Split Screen).

Although, for several reasons, not a part of the group, the A Gente Não Vê is looking forward to thoroughly tail this initiative, a new step in the Portuguese filmblog community.

Inspirado pela Liga de Blogs de Cinema brasileira, o Círculo de Críticos Online Portugueses estabelece o que se segue:

"(...) é um grupo seleccionado de críticos online de cinema portugueses, cuja acção se centra essencialmente na classificação dos filmes estreados mensalmente nas salas de cinema portuguesas, de forma a produzir um conjunto de tops mensais, com oportunos dados estatísticos. O CCOP poderá dedicar-se ainda à elaboração de tops de temáticas especiais (décadas, realizadores, géneros) e um prémio anual (cujo nome será posteriormente definido) dedicado aos melhores filmes do ano." >

Entre a equipa, tantos dos nossos companheiros e mais admirados bloggers:

Catarina D'Oliveira (Close-Up), Gonçalo Trindade (Ante-Cinema), Inês Moreira Santos (Espalha-Factos), João Pinto (Portal Cinema), João Samuel (Dial P for Popcorn), Jorge Rodrigues (Dial P for Popcorn), Miguel Ferreira (A Última Sessão), Nuno Reis (Antestreia), Pedro Ponte (Ante-Cinema), Samuel Andrade (Keyzer Soze's Place), Tiago Ramos (Split Screen).

Embora, por diversas razões, não faça parte do grupo, o A Gente Não Vê conta seguir de perto esta iniciativa, um novo passo na blogosfera de cinema portuguesa.

SciFi Wold Portugal

One month after I first reported the upcoming project, the Portuguese horror film magazine was officially launched. Actively reaching its audience from a simple intelligible website, the twittering blue bird and the social machine Facebook, it is sustained by a wide spectrum of backgrounds (bloggers, screenwriters, fans) and is partners with prestigious film festivals such as Fantasporto or Stiges.

http://www.thescifiworld.com/PT/

Um mês depois de ter anunciado a chegada do projecto, a revista portuguesa de filmes de terror foi oficialmente lançada. Activamente alcançando a sua audiência através de um simples e inteligível website, do cantarolante pássaro azul e da máquina social Facebook, é sustentada por um vasto espectro de experiências (bloggers, argumentistas, fãs) e é parceira de festivais prestigiados como o Fantasporto ou Stiges.

http://www.thescifiworld.com/PT/

"The Artist" nails BAFTAs

BEST FILM

The Artist

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

DAVID LEAN AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)

BEST ACTOR

Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

BEST ACTRESS

Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer (The Help)

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH SCREENWRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

Paddy Considine (writer/director, Tyrannosaur) and Diarmid Scrimshaw (producer, Tyrannosaur)

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The Skin I Live In (Spain)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Senna

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Rango

ANTHONY ASQUITH AWARD FOR FILM MUSIC

Ludovic Bource (The Artist)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Guillaume Schiffman (The Artist)

BEST EDITING

Chris King & Gregers Sall (Senna)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Hugo

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Artist

BEST MAKE UP/HAIR

The Iron Lady

BEST SOUND

Hugo

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

BEST SHORT ANIMATION

A Morning Stroll

BEST SHORT FILM

Pitch Black Heist

OUTSTANDING BRITISH TO CINEMA

John Hurt

ORANGE WEDNESDAY RISING STAR AWARD

Adam Deacon

ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP AWARD

Martin Scorsese