Oscar Winners 2013

I’ve been ridiculously slack on posting following the 2012 Oscars in February (my bad I know) but that pesky little thing called real life reared its ugly head and ripped me from my happy film bubble. Finally here are my views on the winners of the much-coveted Academy Awards. An I’m gonna start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised by Seth MacFarlane, mainly because I cannot stand Family Guy and all the rest of his body of work so was wary of his humour on the night. However I found myself chuckling away and even humming the opinion dividing “We saw your boobs” days after the star-spangled ceremony. On a side note I read an opinion piece the following day that questioned why we needed the Oscars and that with a bit of imagination the BAFTAs could be just as good if not better than the Oscars. Are the stupid? There is no way we can compete with the Academy Awards … there isn’t anywhere big enough, let alone luscious enough to host a ceremony on the same level. Ok rant over … onto the important stuff.

Once again the majority of the winners were a given before the ceremony, like Daniel Day Lewis getting his third Best Actor Award (making history as he goes!) and Amour deservedly picking up the Best Foreign Language Film. Then of course Life Of Pi swept the board in the production categories like Visual Effects and Cinematography, and saw Ang Lee collect the accolade of Best Director. I do think that it was a massive oversight not nominating Ben Affleck for his stellar work directing Argo.

Les Miserables only really garnered technical awards like Sound Mixing and Hair and Makeup with the lovely exception of Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway. She really was incredible as Fantine, which is saying something as I have always found the character to be insufferable before. She had a beautiful rawness to her performance hat I just loved.

Django Unchained didn’t pick up many awards but the ones it did were ones that really counted like another Best Supporting Actor for Christophe Waltz – prove that he does his best work under Tarantino’s direction (his previous Oscar in the same category for his performance in Inglorious Basterds). And Tarantino collected the accolade for Best Original Screenplay.

Argo deservedly picked up the top award of the night, Best Picture. I really did enjoy Argo and I’m glad it won (even if a little part of me was wanting Les Miserables to take the top spot but let’s face it I’m a huge theatre geek and adore Les Miserables in particular!) My favourite award of the night however was Jennifer Lawrence picking up Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook … and not just because she fell over, which was damn adorable … but because she is incredibly talented and one of my favourite actors so I’m glad she has got recognition from the most respected awarding body in the film industry.

All in all the night didn’t really hold any surprises, although I will admit that I thought Lincoln would win more than it did, but I can’t say that I agree with all the decisions. I would have liked to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey or Avengers Assemble win something, but that’s just me.

Best Picture – Argo

Best Actor – Daniel Day Lewis

Best Actress – Jennifer Lawrence

Best Supporting Actor – Christophe Waltz

Best Supporting Actress – Anne Hathaway

Best Director – Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

Best Original Screenplay – Django Unchained

Best Adapted Screenplay – Argo

Best Animated Feature – Brave

Best Foreign Film – Amour

Cinematography – Life of Pi

Editing – Argo

Production Design – Lincoln

Costume Design – Anna Karenina

Makeup & Hair – Les Miserables

Best Original Score – Life Of Pi

Best Original Song – Skyfall

Sound Mixing – Les Miserables

Sound Editing – Zero Dark Thirty; Skyfall

Visual Effects – Life of Pi

 

 

Anna Karenina

Director: Joe Wright

Nominated: Costume Design; Production Design; Cinematography; Original Score

Anna Karenina is a breathtakingly beautiful piece of filmmaking. Joe Wright’s films are always visually sumptuous anyway, but Anna Karenina raises the bar once more.

There is an intensely theatrical nature to this film thanks in part to being almost exclusively shot at the stunning Wiltons Music Hall. I have a real fondness for Wiltons. It’s a unique location that gains much of its charm from its run-down state. Adding to the theatrical nature of the production design Wright has bits of set swinging in to change locations and characters bringing various props and furniture on. There is a recurring theme of a stage throughout. again in part due to the constant use of the stage at Wiltons. It’s often used as a way of framing the action or drawing the eye to exactly where Wright wants you to be looking.

The costumes are exquisite and authentic to both the period and the status of the characters. The women’s clothes in particular are splendid and none more so than those of Anna Karenina herself, played with elegance by Keira Knightley. Knightley is perfect as Anna Karenina. She clearly suits period films and aristocratic roles well and her best performances have come under Joe Wright’s direction.

Jude Law and Aaron Johnson look regal in their costumes. Law as Karenin is elegant in his political garb and carries himself in the way of a man with every confidence in himself. He would be rather handsome if it wasn’t for his heinous haircut.

Johnson oozes charm and virility that come naturally to young military men. He is incredibly handsome in his military uniform despite the somewhat ridiculous blonde perm and mustache he sports as Vronsky.

Everyone moves with an effortless grace, especially in the highly choreographed, theatrical dance scenes.

The score by Dario Marianelli is beautiful and lyrical not to mention clever. He blends the score into the action on screen in a subtle way, like the music matching the sounds of the train on Anna’s first trip to Moscow. I especially like the way it morphs into the stamps of the clerks all certifying documents in perfect unison.

I found Anna Karenina a bit drawn out in terms of the story but then what else could I have expected from an adaptation of Tolstoy. However visually I was captivated from the very first frame and it sustained that initial captivation throughout. I would quite happily watch Anna Karenina many times over just so I could notice a little bit more of the artful craftsmanship and detail with each viewing.