Month: January 2014

Oscar Race, 2013, Predictions One Month Out

On January 31, 2014

Academy Award Predictions for the 2013 Oscars in the Main Categories

I’ve been watching magazines (like “Entertainment Weekly”) predict the potential Oscar nominees for Best Actor in advance and score only 3 out of 5. (They missed with Tom Hanks and Robert Redford). True, they did better in other categories, but as someone who covered the Chicago Film Festival and has seen nearly all of the nominees, it’s time to share my view(s) on who will win. After all, it’s over a month away.

Best Picture of 2013

Bruce Dern at the Chicago Film Festival, nominee for “Nebraska.”

The nominees are: “12 Years A Slave;” “American Hustle;” “Captain Phillips;” “Dallas Buyers’ Club;” “Gravity;” “Her;” “Nebraska;” “Philomena;” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” First of all, let me say that there were enough good movies out there this year that the Academy could/would/should have picked 10 films, but it is my understanding that, to make the list, a film has to receive enough first-place votes from Academy members, and, obviously, films like “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “August: Osage County” and “Blue Jasmine” didn’t quite make the cut. Why? Beats the heck out of me!I’d say they were too much “downers” as movie fare, except that “Blue Jasmine,” in particular, has some very funny moments, and “Dallas Buyers Club” is hardly frivolous fare.

“American Hustle” is David O. Russell’s second great film in 2 years. Maybe it’s his year for Best Director?

If I were to put the list above in order, entertainment-wise, I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite between “American Hustle” and “Captain Phillips.” For me, “12 Years a Slave” started much too slowly, was too depressing, and did not accurately depict what life would have been like for a free man in 1841 in the North. Steve McQueen, its director, is British, and I think he must have missed the Jackie Robinson film “42,” which depicted the struggles of blacks (even Jackie Robinson) to crack the color barrier as recently as the sixties. No way would a black man in 1841 in the North in Washington, D.C., have been served in the fancy dining room (seated with white men), attired as a fop, nor lived in the very fancy house he returns to at film’s end. I also did not like the hanging scene. From the standpoint of veracity, I will never believe that the other slaves depicted tip-toeing around in the background wouldn’t have helped poor Solomon out of that noose, since the slave master(s) had disappeared from the scene. However, having these negative things, I do think that the Best Supporting Actress award should go to new-comer Lupita Nyong’o. (For my money, the SAG awards got it right most of the time).

Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine” was pitch perfect. Why wasn’t the film nominated as Best Picture?

However, if you hold my feet to the fire and say, “Rank order these films in the order of which ones are really good movies that I will enjoy,” I’d start out with “American Hustle” and move to “Captain Phillips” second.

“Gravity” with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (briefly).

After that, “Dallas Buyers Club” was a revelation. I recognize the achievement(s) of “Gravity,” but it was a boring film a lot of the time, despite its technical achievements. I look for the Academy to award those achievements and perhaps its Director, but not the film. I think the feel-good film (“American Hustle”) will win out over watching the wicked slave owner Edwin Epps (excellently played by Michael Fassbender) whip Patsy till she damn near dies. I regret the omission of “Blue Jasmine,” a truly funny, yet heartbreakingly honest film. The minute I saw Cate Blanchett’s performance, I took my husband back for a second look, since it was such a good film and she was phenomenal in it. Let me be honest here: I’ve not (yet) seen “Her” or “Philomena;” I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be swayed by either. “The Wolf of Wall Street” contained good performances, but it was way too long and seemed rather self-indulgent on Scorsese’s part to carry scenes on so long when the point had been made 20 minutes earlier. (I’m thinking of Leonardo DiCaprio’s many scenes exhorting his troops of brokers.)

So, Best Picture: “American Hustle”—-when “Blue Jasmine,” which wasn’t even nominated, was its equal and so was “Captain Phillips,” a truly heart-thumping Paul Greengrass effort with his trademark quick cuts, which have made Matt Damon’s outing in the Bourne series so great.

Director: Even though David O. Russell deserves it, for directing both “Silver Linings Playbook” and this year’s “American Hustle” (and, many years ago, “Flirting with Disaster,” one of my All-Time Favorite comedies), the Academy will give it to “Gravity’s” director, Alfonso Cuaron, which I can live with. I realize he overcame some daunting technical issues to make this space epic so realistic, but, quite frankly, the best line I’ve heard about “Gravity” was from Tina Fey when she told the Golden Globes audience that George Clooney floated away after 10 minutes so he wouldn’t have to spend any more time with a woman his age. (I paraphrase loosely). That was part of the problem. One-person movies are not as riveting as those with an actual cast that hangs around. Yes, I know that “Castaway” was well done and that Robert Redford’s effort this year was good, but, for me (and most other movie-goers) watching one person onscreen for a couple hours gets boring after a while. Sorry. It’s just the way it is, Tina Fey funny remarks notwithstanding.

Best Actor: Nominees-Christian Bale (“American Hustle”); Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”); Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years A Slave”); Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”); Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”). I’ve bold-faced the winner. I could give you all the (good) reasons why, such as his great year appearing in “Mud” and his superb cameo in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which is one of the film’s most memorable moments. I will give you that both Tom Hanks and Robert Redford were snubbed, especially since Hanks not only had “Captain Phillips” but, also, “Saving Mr. Banks.” Nevertheless, the momentum is with the letter “M” and he will be joined onstage by his co-star Jared Leto, as Best Supporting Actor. Why not Best Film then? Too depressing, overall, but a really, really good film. (*It played in the Quad Cities for about 2 days, so I had to drive all the way to Chicago to see it; I think it’s coming back, however, so be sure to catch it if you are a true film buff).

Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County” is nominated once again.

Best Actress: Nominees –Amy Adams (“American Hustle”); Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”); Judi Dench (“Philomena”); Meryl Streep (“August: Osage County”); Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”). I’ve not seen Judi Dench, but both she and Streep and Bullock have won previously, so there’s that to consider. The bottom line is that Cate Blanchett’s performance was pitch perfect, at times, funny, always touching and just perfect. She deserves it.

Best Supporting Actor: Nominees – Barkhad Abdi (“Captain Phillips”); Bradley Cooper (“American Hustle”); Michael Fassbender (“12 Years A Slave”); Jonah Hill (“The Wolf of Wall Street”); Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”). This performance as a trans-gender male is outstanding. Leto deserves it, also. While the Somalian pirate was a wonderful debut by Minneapolis resident Barkhad Abdi, it’s his first film and we’ll have to see if there is a big market for Somalian pirates in future films. (Abdi hopes so, because he already has moved to Hollywood and plans to act.) Michael Fassbender was good, as always. I’m bummed that Jonah Hill got the nod while Tom Hanks and Robert Redford were ignored, but oh, well. Alfred Hitchcock never won, nor did Richard Burton and Hanks and Redford have at least won Oscars previously. Leto was just absolutely spot-on.

Best Supporting Actress: Nominees-Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”); Jennifer Lawrence (“American Hustle”); Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years A Slave”); Julia Roberts (“August: Osage County”); June Squibb (“Nebraska”) Frankly, I think Jennifer Lawrence was a bit young for the role she played in “American Hustle.” She’s definitely Hollywood’s “it” girl, right now, but that isn’t a good enough reason to give it to her. Julia Roberts has already won. If Lupita doesn’t get the trophy she so richly deserves for playing Patsy, I’d enjoy seeing either of the 2 lesser-known nominees (Sally Hawkins or June Squibb) be so honored. This is the “Wild card” category that I would “wheel” if I were entering contests, because Jennifer Lawrence is the front-runner. I’m voting with my heart and remembering how many times there have been upsets in this category.

So, to sum up, my winners (given the nominees) are: “American Hustle”
Director – Alfonso Cuaron
Best Actor – Matthew McConaughey
Best Actress – Cate Banchett
Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto
Best Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o
How much you want to bet I can get at least 3 out of 6 right to rival “Entertainment Weekly’s” nominee predicting?

Reviews of “Dr. Sleep” (Stephen King) and “The Cuckoo’s Calling” (J.K. Rawlings)

By Connie Wilson

On January 21, 2014

In Books, Reviews

Stephen King’s “Dr. Sleep.”

While vacationing in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, I caught up on all the many magazines I had been meaning to read AND read two novels that were also on my “to read” list.

The first book I completed (in 2 days) was Stephen King’s “Dr. Sleep,” a continuation of the young boy Danny Torrance from “The Shining.” Dan Torrance is now middle-aged and called upon to aid a 12-year-old girl (Abra Stone), who also has the special power called “the Shining.”

The book held your interest and picked up quickly. Stephen King is a master of limning characters quickly, with small details like the tee shirt they wear or an expression they use, and he creates many characters that capture your interest. They are also characters for whom we will be rooting as an evil cult called The True Knot, led by the evil Top Hat wearing Rose, searches for small children with the same special power that Dan and Abra possess. No child is safe from the cult’s vampire-like tendencies. Our fear that the group will find Abra ratchets up the tension in the beginning and middle portions of the novel.
Towards the end, with all the astral projection and the emphasis on Dan’s skill at guiding the dying in hospice towards death, I began to become slightly queasy. This had more to do with some things going on in my own life with a hospice patient than with the book.
I remember thinking that the book is probably only the first that will focus on the female YA protagonist, Abra Stone.
I also was surprised to find a proofreading error on page 206 in the first paragraph of the “your/you’re” variety (“Like when you were eating breakfast, you’d wonder if your missing….”). It made me feel slightly better to realize that the most successful author on the planet, with the might of Simon & Schuster behind him, can have these simply errors (that Spellcheck will never find.)

J.K. Rawlings’ “The Cuckoo’s Calling.”

“The Cuckoo’s Calling:” This is the adult mystery that J.K. Rawlings wrote under the pseudonym “Robert Galbraith” until the publishers (Mulholland Books) realized that the book was not selling under the pseudonym, but would if people knew it was written by Harry Potter’s creator.

The main character in the novel is Cormoran Strike, a down-on-his-luck private eye with a fake leg from his tour of duty in Afghanistan. Cormoran’s personal life is complicated, as he is the bastard son of a famous man and his mother, a groupie, died under mysterious circumstances which Cormoran has never accepted as suicide.
It is, therefore, a bit hard to accept an assignment to investigate the apparent suicide of a beautiful model who fell to her death from her apartment balcony in Kentigern Gardens. The model, Lula Landry, is the adopted daughter of a rich society maven, and I couldn’t help but think of Rihanna when descriptions of the lovely girl were provided. I imagined that John C. Reilly would be a good fit to portray Cormoran, Rihanna as Lula and that the relationship between Lula and her rock star boyfriend was probably modeled on that of Kate Moss. The black rapper from America (Deebee Macc) sounded suspiciously like Kanye West (pre Kim Kardashian) and his sidekick was a Biggie Smalls sort.
Cormoran only takes the job in the first place because he knew Charlie Landry when they were classmates together in their youth. Charlie fell to his death in a quarry and Lula was adopted to fill the void created by his passing at a young age.

There is also Tony Landry, Lula’s uncle (brother to her adoptive mother) and Rochelle, a young black girl living in a homeless shelter that Lula befriends while trying to “find her roots.”
Cormoran has had a love/hate relationship with the beautiful Charlotte for years, and, in this book, his secretary Robin—although engaged to Matthew as the book opens—-seems to be headed towards becoming Cormoran’s replacement romance for the feckless Charlotte.
The plot is quite convoluted and intricate. Near the end, it takes about 10 pages just to explain all the ins-and-outs to the reader who has just struggled through it all. (And I haven’t even mentioned the venal Bestigui clan, who live in Lula’s apartment building and whose wife, Tansy, says she witnessed the fall.)

There are so many likely suspects posited that the author succeeds in keeping us guessing till the bitter end. I have to admit that I left the book for quite a while, however. This was not because it wasn’t interesting, but was because I was reading it aloud, in the car, to my spouse, and I didn’t want to read ahead without him.

However, when I finished “Dr. Sleep,” I had no choice but to finish the mystery of what happened to Lula Landry, whose nickname from her designer friend Guy Some, was “Cuckoo” (hence the title).
The first book I completed (“Dr. Sleep”) was so named because the adult Dan Torrance has the unique ability to assist the dying in hospice to shuffle off this mortal coil with less angst, and is thus called “Dr. Sleep” by his hospice colleagues.

Sunset in Cabo San Lucas (Sunset Beach)

By Connie Wilson

On January 20, 2014

In Mexico, travel

As soon as we arrived in Cabo San Lucas at the Sunset Beach Resort, we were told to be sure to take in sunset from the hot tub near the Sky Bar Pool.

To get to the Sky Bar Pool—-or anywhere, for that matter, at Sunset Beach—-you take a small golf cart driven by the staff.

No one warned us that the Sky Bar Pool was crowded at all times of day, and, given the crowd there in early afternoon, the entire idea of room in the hot tub at sunset was soon discarded and a plan was formulated to try to film the sun going down.

“It goes down fast!” said the experienced tourists who had witnessed the phenomenon in the past.

So, I set up on a railing of the pool area and waited, and the video above is the result.

Finished two books this week: “Dr. Sleep” (Stephen King) and “Cuckoo’s Calling” (Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rawlings).

Spinner Dolphins Running Off the Coast of Cabo San Lucas on January 13, 2014

By Connie Wilson

On January 18, 2014

In Mexico, travel

Most of the video I took of gray humpback whales and spinner dolphins on Monday looks like it was shot by an 8-year-old. It was so sunny out that I couldn’t tell whether I was getting the dolphins and whales or not.

Even those with eye views said it was hard to tell in the bright sunlight off the Caborey (boat) and, so, you will have to watch through a large amount of shakey footage to see a whale’s tail disappearing. I may post it, but it is going to take over 35 minutes to do so.

Therefore, for the moment, here is the short piece of spinner dolphin footage, running directly in front of the ship. Truly an amazing sight. Because we sat through a “presentation” (which consisted mainly of a tour of the properties at Sunset Beach—see pictures on the Pinterest page for Connie Corcoran Wilson)—we got our tickets for half price, and it included all you can drink and breakfast.

Enjoy!

Dolphins and Whale Watching off the Coast of Cabo San Lucas on January 14, 2014

By Connie Wilson

On January 16, 2014

In Mexico, travel

We went out whale watching on a large boat and it was truly an amazing experience. Not only did we see many whales, but there were entire schools of dolphin(s) that ran right ahead of the boat.

Plus, it was an open bar and breakfast was served.

Beautiful weather here, but it ends day after tomorrow, sadly.

Cabo San Lucas, Sunset Beach Sky Bar, January 5, 2014.

By Connie Wilson

On January 10, 2014

In Mexico, travel

Sky Bar Pool. Cabo San Lucas. Sunset Beach.

I’m going to do my best to post some pictures, although the Internet is very slow here. First, some shots of the amazing Sky Bar Pool that overlooks the ocean and has a bird’s eye view of a gorgeous sunset.

Sunset in Cabo San Lucas.

The view from the hot tub at sunset is truly amazing!

View from our room.

I have so many beautiful shots, but the Internet here is as amazingly slow as that sunset is beautiful

Sunset Beach Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Sky Bar.

Still, a picture IS worth 1,000 words. (Even if it takes a lot longer to load).

Cabo San Lucas on January 3rd and 4th, 2014: Hello Sunshine!

By Connie Wilson

On January 4, 2014

In Mexico, travel

We flew out of O’Hare at 8 a.m. on January 3rd, just ahead of a blizzard that was moving in. The drive up was uneventful, although the I55N portion witnessed the hours of snowing that son Scott had described to us on the phone.
Since he will soon get to experience the weather from our corner of the world and our house, let’s hope that is as bad as it gets, because weathermen were predicting -17 back in the Quad Cities.

Our plane was to leave at 8 a.m. Surprisingly, the plane, itself, would have left on time, but the DOOR FROZE CLOSED! I’m not kidding! We were to leave from Gate H9, but there was a change to K5 when airport personnel could not open the door through which we were to board! We listened to a poor woman from San Francisco, who had traveled to Disneyworld in Florida, describe the night they had just spent on the floor at the airport, since Southwest Airlines told them the soonest they could get out of Florida to fly home to San Francisco was going to be Monday night! (This was Thursday morning!) She said, “It’s a good thing I’m a Chicago Bears fan, because I had to outfit my entire family in Bears hooded sweatshirts. We had no winter clothing with us at all and had to transfer to other airlines and fly through Chicago to get home.” She added that she was expecting to leave at 10 a.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 5 p.m.

We waited around an hour and then boarded, having survived the taxi ride out. Our driver never put on his seat belt, was weaving all over the road, and took a weird route. People were literally honking at him as he nearly sideswiped the wall at one point.

Now, it is Saturday and we have been poolside for 2 days. The weather is very much like Mazatlan’s, with cool nights, but warm enough to lay in the sun by day.