Anne Hathaway really wants an Oscar

For some reason Anne Hathaway's public persona rubs a lot of people - including me - the wrong way. There's something disingenuous about her earnest theatre kid proclamations. Her speeches and interviews make me cringe. She is probably a really nice person.

I like a lot of her performances. She was charming in Prada, revelatory in Rachel Getting Married and the best thing in Les Miserables. Still every time I see her accept an award she just bugs me. Someone has poured these feelings into a genius video. Really well done and so so right. Watch and let me know what you think.

Review - Les Miserables

Let's just get it out of the way, Anne Hathaway is the main reason to see Les Miserables. More importantly she is the only reason to love the movie. Her performance is emotional, pierces your heart deeply and might well up the tears. She doesn't shy away from going big with the emotion ; it is a musical after all. It's exactly the kind of performance people who love musicals are looking for. She delivers.


Now I wish the rest the movie delivered as well as Hathaway did. It had all the elements : the beloved musical full of big numbers known the world over, an acclaimed director (Tom Hooper) coming off a big Oscar win; fantastic cast led by musical theater vet Hugh Jackman. The movie has a lot of virtues but it is not the fantastic musical it promised to be.

The movie starts strong, bringing chills and flutters as you hear that bombastic store and the camera pans over the huge shipyard and comes to pinpoint Jean Valjean (Jackman) and Javert (Russell Crowe) the hero and antagonist of the piece. Brilliant set up from Hooper, and he carries these panoramic views that open the action to some of the set pieces giving them epic grandeur. Curiously the only songs he shoots this way are Crowe's. All the others are shot in extreme close up. I get that he wanted to differentiate the movie from the play by highlighting the actors emotional work, but it doesn't work for every number. It works with Hathaway's ''I Dreamed A Dream'' since that song is about Fantine being at the end of the rope and feeling hopeless, trapped and alone so the the claustrophobia works. But why shoot Eddie Redmayne's ''Empty Chairs at Empty Tables'' this way when it's a song about Marius looking at where he and his friends used to sit and argue? Literally why not show the empty chairs and empty tables instead of just Redmayne's bee stung lips?

Jackman and Hathaway

Jackman carries this and as he goes so does the movie. He brings a tenderness and fragility to the performance that makes it endearing. However his singing came off flat. He did not accomplish full lift off with the emotion. "Bring Him Home", his big number, particularly suffers from this. I hardly noticed it. His duet with Hathaway in "Finale'' though is amazing and made me wish there was more of the two of them together.

Samantha Barks, the newcomer and only member of the cast to have played her role on stage, sings beautifully. However she does not have much screen presence making Eponine forgettable despite her screen time. Amanda Seyfried does the best she could with the thankless role of Cosette but does not have any chemistry with Redmayne. The fault is not theirs but the plot's since we are supposed to take for granted that they fall deep in love on first sight and that love is supposed to carry the second half of the movie. Redmayne on the other hand was my big revelation from the movie. He has a great voice and gives it his all , faring well particularly in his scenes with his revolutionary comrades. The less said about Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter the better. They stuck out with their very broad characterizations that didn't belong in this movie. Was this what Hooper intended? Bonham Carter is the major offender with her atrocious singing and Tim Burton make up.

Crowe and Jackman

Crowe was another major surprise. That he brings pathos and gravitas to his villain are no surprise. But who knew he could belt out with such gusto making us completely understand his conflicted righteous character. I think the dismissive chatter about his performance is because he does not do well with the sung dialogue, his voice comes out as off tune in those instances. However he completely sold his two big numbers.

If you are a fan of the musical you will love this movie version. However if you are unfamiliar with it, you might go ''huh?"' several times. There are plot gaps as they had to get the movie in under three hours. The rebellion is front and center then forgotten, the jump between the years is sometimes jarring and might confuse some. The never ending close ups might give you vertigo.  However there is enough emotion to carry you through.

Crazy Early Oscar Predictions

A week before Christmas here is who I think will win Oscar in the acting categories. It's crazy and early but it looks this way to me now. Although I should not predict winners before nominations.

Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Most Anticipated - Les Miserables

Today a lucky few will the movie version of Les Miserables as it begins screening. I'm so jealous. It is my most anticipated movie of the year. Here's why:

It's a musical. I love musicals. It's big, emotional with lots of big juicy parts for actors. I love actors and acting.

They have really done a good job with casting. If there are 2 Hollywood stars who excel at musical theater and started their careers there ; it's Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. Have you seen Jackman's charming opening when he hosted the Oscars a few years ago? And Annie joined him in it for a bit. Fantastic.

Hugh & Anne at Oscars

 Russell Crowe has a band ie. possibly he can sing and he has the gravitas to pull off Javert. Amanda Seyfried can sing and will be a good Cosette. Plus she has the same big eyes of Hathaway's so they are believable as mother and daughter. Aaron Tevit and Samantha Barks are musical theater vets on Broadway and in England respectively.

 Eddie Redmayne is an open question but his "heart full of love"face in the trailer makes me optimistic he can pull it off.

Helena as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are the two biggest potentials to ruin this. I mean Carter single handedly ruined the movie version of Sweeny Todd. But their roles as comic relief are not that significant. They get one song, even better Carter only gets to sing half of that song. Even she can't ruin this.

 I was not a fan of director Tom Hooper's last movie The King's Speech. However I think he can definitely make a very interesting movie of Les Miserables

And the marketing for this movie has been brilliant. That first trailer with just Hathaway singing Ï Dreamed A Dream" created the kind of buzz other movies only dream off.

Are you excited as I am? Tell me in the comments.

Summer Movies

I don't much care for summer movies. They tend to be dominated by my least favourite genre, superhero and/or big action movies. I admit some superhero movies are OK, The first X-Men , The Dark Night. But most are just intolerable. And the last Michael Bay film I saw was Bad Boys.

So for this summer 2 movies excite me. Bridesmaids and One Day. I guess I dig chick flicks.

Bridesmaids just looks so funny. I laugh out loud through the trailer. Watch Kristin Wiig's reaction when she's told she's "the worst bridesmaid". Priceless. Or when she says "I'm ready to parrrrty". I bet you are doubling down laughing.There is another trailer that I couldn't find in which John Hamm appears, and any movie with the dapper Draper is one I can't wait to see.



As for One Day, my anticipation stems from the fact that I loved the book on which it is based. No wonder these rights were swept up so soon, the book begs for cinematic interpretation. Reading it I could imagine a movie easily as it was written very cinematically. And the writer David Nicholls wrote the adaptation. Plus Lone Sherfig, who had such a sterling debut with An Education, is directing.Finally the lovely Anne Hathaway is starring. So yes count me in.


What are you most loking forward to this summer?

Perfect Casting?

Anne Hathaway is going to play Judy Garland in an adaptation of the biography "Get Happy". With those huge eyes, dark hair and singing ability plus a certain elfin quality, it sounds like perfect casting to me.

Does this mean Oscar? Definitely a nomination and a possible win unless the movie turns out to be another Immortal Beloved. Why does this scream Oscar? Well let's see:

- It's a biopic where Anne gets to play a real person. See Marion Cotilliard, Helen Mirren, Hilary Swank's first.

- It's produced by Harvey Weinstein. He helped previous best actress winners like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet.

- Residual goodwill from Rachel's nomination and box office clout from Princess and Prada.

It's a slam dunk, y'all.

The "Murtada" Awards or my Oscar ballot

Best Film:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Milk.
Rachel Getting Married.
Revolutionary Road.
The Visitor.

Best Actor :
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Revolutionary Road".
Robert Downey Jr in "Iron Man".
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor".
Sean Penn in "Milk"
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler".


Best Actress :
Cate Blanchett in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married".
Kristin Scott Thomas in "I've Loved You So Long".
Meryl Streep in "Doubt".
Kate Winslet in "Revolutionary Road".

Best Supp Actor :
Josh Brolin in "Milk"
James Franco in "Milk"
Bill Irwin in "Rachel Getting Married"
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight"
Haaz Sleiman in "The Visitor"

Best Supporting Actress :
Hiam Abbas,in "The Visitor".
Penelope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".
Viola Davis in "Doubt".
Taraji P Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button".
Debra Winger in "Rachel Getting Married".

Best Director :
David Fincher for "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button".
Gus Van Sant for "Milk".
Jonathan Demme for "Rachel Getting Married".
Sam Mendes for "Revolutionary Road".
Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire".

Best Original Screenplay :
Milk - Dustin Lance Black.
Rachel Getting Married - Jenny Lumet.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Woody Allen.
The Visitor - Thomas McCarthy.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth & Robin Swicord.
Doubt - John Patrick Shanely.
The Reader - David Hare.
Revolutionary Road - Justin Hythe.

Favourite Movies and performances of 2008 so far

The Visitor - loved the quite intricate way people made connections in this movie. They were all wounded yet they found joy in each other's company. Richard Jenkins and Haaz Sleiman were affecting and had wonderful chemistry in their scenes together. Hiam Abbas was heartbreaking in her longing, reserved hope, plunge into love and finally quiet acquiescence.

Rachel Getting Married - recognized and empathized with the unimaginable loss the parents were feeling. These two characters were sparsely but tightly written. No exposition was needed. Bill Irwin and Debra Winger were so magnificent and heartbreaking.

Milk - where do I start with this one. Possibly the best of the year. Not only is this an important story that should be told in the current political climate. But it was actually told so well. Dustin Lance Black chose rightfully to show only the years when Harvey was politically active. His screenplay was nuanced and heartfelt balancing the public with the private while drawing full formed characters of Harvey, his friends, lovers and others in his orbit. All the actors were excellent. Sean Penn probably gave his most relaxed performance, finding what makes Harvey tick. James Franco was the anchor of the movie with his warmth and beauty. Josh Brolin made Dan White chilling and loathsome but 100% human.

I've Loved You So Long - just loved Kristin Scott Thomas and Elsa Zylbersyein. Two fantastic actresses at the top of their game, dueling it out in a fireworks acting fight. And the viewer is the winner.