better than bradshaw

This Carey is better than Carrie Bradshaw. I am completely smitten at how elegant Carey Mulligan is. Here she is at Cannes promoting Wall Street 2:

(images via Just Jared, here and here)

Perfection.

50 years old

Yesterday Brasília, Brazil's capital city, turned 50. (Read about its creation here).

I lived in Brasília for 8 years and it has meant a lot to me.

This is a picture I found of French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud (on the right) and some guy in Brasília, probably taken in the 1960s. Léaud is the star of one of my favourite films of all time, The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups), by François Truffaut. The Brazilian National Congress, with the white columns and large dishes on the sides, is behind him.

(image via Jean-Pierre Leaud)

There's no place like it on earth.

tilda

Tilda Swinton is magnificent. As an actress, as a beauty, as a style icon.

I saw her in Orlando when I was a little girl, and found her mesmerising.

She is, by far, one of the best-dressed women today. THIS is style, my friends.

Just now I saw the trailer for her new movie, I am Love. Gave me chills.

Tilda, I bow down to you.

R.I.P. Corey Haim

Corey Haim has died from an accidental overdose at the age of 38.

(image via here)

ten things about the Oscars

1.

Best dressed.

2.

Truth be told, Ben Stiller scared the shit out of me. I might have peed a little.

3.
I love you, Sandra.

4.

"Shut the fuck up or I'm gonna bash your head in with the Oscar."

5.

It's official. Tina Fey and Robert Downey Jr. have to make a movie together.

6.

His Dudeness.

7.

Tribute to the great John Hughes... touched me to the CORE.

8.

Yes, Charlize, we know where your breats are located in your anatomy.

9.

You could always count on JLo to wear the most unflattering garment in any event.

10.

Mariah Carey and her infant husband.

on the weekend

1. I am feeling deeply guilty. Yesterday, as I was driving, I saw a cat get run over by the car in front of me. I didn't stop to help it. Cats scare the shit out of me, but he was run over by a car. I should have stopped and taken it to a vet.

2. I found out a guy I am interested in just broke up with an emotionally retarded girl. If that's what he's into, then he should really call me.

3. After seeing It's Complicated this weekend, I realised that I would do Steve Martin. Then I realised that I have actually felt his way since Roxanne.

marlene

(image and quote via Old Hollywood)

"On the evolutionary purposes of women's hats:

'They can be great fun. And it is true that they can put a woman in a good mood. Anyone who laughs at this fact just knows nothing about the finer points of woman's capacity for survival.'

- Marlene Dietrich (photographed here in 1936's Desire)."

blade runner, 1982

(image via Movies in Frames)

holy shit

Chunk, from The Goonies...

became a Hollywood attorney after he grew up.

(images via Cracked.com)

Read the whole story here.

the oscar will go to...

I am now going to write at length about who will win Oscars this year. I know you don't care, but, frankly, I don't give a shit.

This has been a tough year for predictions. As the Golden Globes and the SAG awards have already made their picks, it is easier to predict who will walk away with the Oscar in the top categories.

In general, this is a year where money-makers will be rewarded and traditionally overlooked actors will be acknowledged by the Academy.

Best Film

I just want to say that I find it deeply annoying that the Academy has decided to nominate ten films this year, as opposed to the traditional five. Instead of extending the list of nominated films, they should start making better choices. Like last year, when they should have clearly nominated "The Dark Knight", but didn't. This year they could show some taste and NOT nominate "Avatar". It's a crap film, everyone knows it, so stop being all impressed with the visual effects.

But Avatar will win. This film has made so much fucking money, already having surpassed Titanic as the top-grossing film of all time, that the Academy will want to give it an Oscar. They must be trembling with orgasmic glee at all that money.

However. If there is an upset, The Hurt Locker will take top prize. It ain't gonna happen, though. That goddamn Avatar is blinding everyone with all that money and stupid fucking special effects.

Best Actor

I would like to see Colin Firth win best actor. It is widely acknowledged that his role in "A Single Man" is a career best. But he has lost out to Jeff Bridges at this point, who seems set to win his first Oscar for "Crazy Heart". This will be a case of giving Bridges the award he should have won years ago ("Tron", "The Contender", "The Big Lebowski", etc.). This is definitely his year, and deservedly so.

Best Actress

Out of all the main categories, this seems to be the most unpredictable. The likely nominees are Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia), Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station).

Both Gabourey Sidibe and Carey Mulligan, though praised as hell for their respective roles, are still in their early years as actors/stars to actually win the Oscar. Also, their momentum has died down considerably since their names were first considered for the prize. Helen Mirren has won her Oscar already. The contest is between Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep. Streep, who has been nominate about 549 times making her the most nominated actor ever, is bound to win her third Oscar at some point. But her portrayal of Julia Child will not bring her such luck. The Academy should have awarded her another Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for "Adaptation", but did not. They should have given it to her for "The Devil Wears Prada", but did not. They won't embarrass themselves this year and give it to her for this lesser role.

So in a year of rewarding money makers and actors who have been relegated to the sidelines at awards shows, this will be the year of Sandra Bullock. And I like that.

Even if hers is not the best performance, she has made buckets of money this past year. The Proposal did very well, and The Blind Side made history as the first female-led film to hit the $200 million mark in box office. This ain't no small feat. Bullock clearly fits the money maker criteria for this year's Oscars. Also, she is universally liked as an actress. Well, I like her. Which is universal enough.

Unlike Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock has not drowned in arrogance into her 40s. At 45 years of age, her career is still in full gear. In the spirit of inclusion (nominating ten films, giving Bridges his first Oscar), the Academy will give Sandra Bullock her first nomination and Oscar for a career that, quite frankly, has quietly surpassed in talent (yes, talent), charisma and box office those of Hollywood's most powerful stars.

Best Supporting Actor

Not much to say here. Christoph Waltz will win the Oscar because no actor this year BLEW OUR MINDS as he did in "Inglourious Basterds" as Nazi officer Hans Landa. Actually, I object to him being nominated in the supporting actor category. But whatever. He is going to win.

Best Supporting Actress

Also set in stone. Mo'nique will win her first Oscar as the diabolical Mary Jones in "Precious". The other probable nominees pale in comparison to her monstrous performance. Also, the Academy loves it when a comedian turns dramatic.

Best Director

James Cameron will not win. Avatar made all this stinking money boring us to death with their stupid blue people. But the Academy always likes to make a little history so... Katherine Bigelow, Cameron's ex-wife, will be the first female director to receive an Oscar for "The Hurt Locker". It also helps that she is the most deserving.

As a side note, I think that Hollywood is secretly annoyed by James Cameron, but since he makes a lot of money, they tolerate him. James Cameron annoys the shit out of me. What the hell was that "king of the world" crap about.

day twelve

It is the 12th day of 2010. Only now could I get myself together to post something.

So far, this new year has presented a series of ups and downs (much like life itself):

Downs:

1. Sherlock Holmes. You disappoint me, Robert Downey.

(image via here)

(Yet your bloodied torso does not.)

2.

(image via here)

Yeah. No.

3. Not one of my New Year resolutions have come true as of yet. Specifically because 2 out of the 3 resolutions depend on me actually doing something relatively simple.

Ups:

1.

(image via here)

It's back.

2. I'm re-watching My-So-Called Life.

(image via here)

Because I used to, like, BE Angela. And I still have impure thoughts about Mr. Catalano.

3. And not TV related...

The Shrink told me today that I am not fat.

I wanted to french kiss her.

too old for this shit

I went to see New Moon again last night.

And I have a few observations stemming from this second viewing.

1. Ms. Bella is a little thrill seeker, ain't she? She seems perfectly content with the prospect of either being sucked dry of her blood by a pasty vamp, or torn apart by the claws of a giant ass wolf.

2. This outfit is absolutely ridiculous.

3. Yes, he is just as good the second time around.

(images via we heart it)

remember this?

Go here.

Now check this out.

if you think...

that I am not going to watch "Robsessed"...

then you don't know me at all.

P.S. - Thank you to L. for showing me the way.

oh, my

again, again

I am preparing myself to watch New Moon again.

(image via LenoreNevermore)

Yes, again. Shut up.

saturday and sunday

Saturday.

I went to see The Killers and they did not play I Can't Stay. I wasn't asking for much, just for them to play this song, which is my favourite. At least Brandon Flowers is a damn good front man.

The concert was outside, in the open air, amongst nature. And most probably amongst horse shit because it was held in Chácara do Jockey, a riding park here in São Paulo now used as a venue for shows. It rained cats and dogs. Enormous pools of rain water and mud formed everywhere. At the end of the night our feet were soaking wet, caked in mud. And possibly caked in the aforementioned horse shit.

And The Killers didn't play the ONE song I was looking forward to hearing.

You bastards.

Sunday.

All was well again. The Sister, Cousin B. and I got tickets for New Moon. Fabulous escapism and that is all it is meant to be.

That Mr. Pattinson is one good looking son of a bitch.

When I was little, I was very into the idea of being a vampire or a witch. It seemed so glamorous to go around in a black cape (I think witches can also have capes). So if the Twilight saga was around when I was about 10, I would very much be into these vampires with magical powers. Like a 2 in 1 deal.

But who needs to be 10 when, at 30, I am very much into a particular vampire with magical powers who walks around in a stylish array of outfits.

(image via here)

(image via here)

(image via we heart it)

And we musn't forget - he also sparkles.

(image via we heart it)

Ok, enough with that.

bullet points

- Cousin B., the Sister and I are desperately trying to get tickets for New Moon. (Shut up. I'm 30, not dead.) All sold out here in São Paulo, at least for the Friday release. And apparently for Saturday and Sunday.

(image via we heart it)

- Tomorrow is a national holiday, Black Consciousness Day. The paulistas are leaving the city for the long weekend. The roads will be free of traffic. Joy.

(image via here)

-

"Really? That’s interesting. Because to me, this is a $200 necklace of worms fucking."

(image and quote via regretsy.com)

monkey business

To celebrate Halloween, myself, the Sister, plus our friend L. will be watching some scary movies.

We each chose one film. I chose Carrie. L. chose The Strangers. The Sister chose Link.

I am not sure about the last one. It's about an animal researcher's assistant (Elisabeth Shue) who lives with an orangutan called Link. Apparently, Link gets a little pissed off and becomes somewhat possessive of his roommate. The Sister - who, by the way, has seen this film before and probably wants to see this again because she is sick in the head - said that there is a shower scene where Link stares at Elisabeth Shue while she undresses.

I shit you not.

(image via here)

Like I said, I am not sure about this one.

dog lovers of the world unite

Last night the Sister and I watched the most horrifying and eye-opening documentary. It's called Pedigree Dogs Exposed, a BBC One documentary that examines the serious health issues faced by pedigree dogs in the UK as a result of inbreeding.

It is shocking to see how dog breeds have changed over the years through competitive breeding, solely for cosmetic purposes.

(image via here)

Spread the word. It's about time we educate ourselves about this very serious issue.

Watch Pedigree Dogs Exposed here.