1 Hot guy a day for 1 week: Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy is about to have one of the most hectic year since his first noticeable role in Layer Cake. Hardy is playing super villain Bane in the highly anticipated final chapter of the Nolan Dark Knight saga; The Dark Night Rises. The premature passing of Heath Ledger and his Oscar winning performance as the maniacal Joker, makes taking the role of the next villain pretty daunting. If the trailer is any indication, Hardy is definitely up to the challenge. 

Most people recognize him as the smart mouthed member of the Inception gang and he may seem like the tough guy but his sultry lips and devilish eyes give him away pretty quickly. He is betting on these two "attributes" to reel in flocks of women in theaters to see his next film, the romantic comedy, This Means War, with another hottie Chris Pine and romantic queen Reese Witherspoon.  

Another "better" film to look forward to is The Wettest Country, with Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Guy Pierce and Mia Wasikowska

If a Hardy fix is needed ASAP, Tom can currently be seen in theaters in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and soon on DVD in Warrior with another one of 2011's it boys; Joel Edgerton.

Enjoy.but don't stare..Its rude you know 

Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel about the journey of a very particular boy dealing with the aftermath of 9/11 is groundbreaking. As one of the most heartbreaking fiction exploring the post 9/11 generation, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was bound to be adapted to the big screen.  Stephen Daldry was given the task to create its cinematic version and he was is perfect director to do so.

Oskar Shell is portrayed by newcomer Thomas Horn. This is Thomas’ first and only performance to date and an incredible one at that. A true revelation, Horn stuck to Oskar’s particularities and made them endearing, heartbreaking and completely understandable. After loosing his beloved father during 9/11, Oskar finds a key and vows to find what it unlocks. He takes it as his father’s last extraordinary adventure. This quest gives justice to the saying that the journey is sometimes more important than the destination. Through his travels, Oskar meets hundreds of people and hears stories which, in the end, opens his mind, his heart and breaks through the loneliness of loss.

Thomas Horn is not the only gem in this movie. Yes, we follow him throughout the film, but the people surrounding him were as brilliant as this new kid. The casting of the parents was; on point. Tom Hanks is one of the most loved actor in Hollywood and making him the victim in one of the greatest catastrophe the US has ever known made the story that much heartbreaking. The beauty of his performance was that the audience saw Thomas Shell like Oskar saw him; perfect. Sandra Bullock was as good and the audience understood the loneliness and guilt Mrs. Shell felt. The renter was a key character in the novel and Max Von Sydow brought him to life with a subtlety and honesty that eventually garnered him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. Last but not the least, Viola Davis, this force of nature, had a small role but crucial role and her chemistry with Oskar was electric.

A true beauty, this film makes you laugh out loud and cry somewhat at the same time but without falling into sappiness. Its nomination as best picture is truly deserved. If you haven’t seen it yet, go!

Grade A+

2011 Oscar nominees are...

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and the entire film world is analyzing, commenting, congratulating and complaining about who made it and who were left in the cold.

The Academy Awards are the last step in the producer and studio campaigning for their film (films if you are Harvey Weinstein) and they can all finally breathe. However, the breath will be short because Sundance is almost over and the batch of new faces and critically acclaimed films are going to take their place and the race will start all over again. Now, lets give them their last run in the spotlight of the year.

The film industry saw some breakthroughs (Melissa McCarthy, Michael Fassbender, Octavia Spencer, Shailene Woodley, Jessica Chastain and Jean Dujardin) some who established their place in the Hollywood elite (Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling, Viola Davis) and the usual suspects (Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, George Clooney, Christopher Plummer and Brad Pitt). All in all, a very good year!

BIG WINNERS
The Artist
George Clooney
HUGO

Huge Snub
The Adventures of Tintin-Steven Spielberg-not included in best animated feature. Really!!!

BEST ACTOR

Demián Bichir- A Better Life
George Clooney- The Descendants-WINNER
Jean Dujardin- The Artist-WANT TO WIN
Gary Oldman- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt- Moneyball

The Surprise
Demiàn Bishir for his performance in A Better Life. Absent from the Golden Globes, Bishir is also among the SAG nominees. His inclusion is not a surprise because of he doesn’t deserve it but because of the two big snubs below.

The Snubs

Michael Fassbender-Shame- A winner at the Venice film festival and a nominee at the Golden Globes and my favorite Fassbender might be on the fast track but sadly, Fassbender is not among the lucky few on the race for Oscar gold.
Leonardo DiCaprio-J.Edgar Oscar usually loves biopics and Clint Eastwood but J. Edgar did not receive any nominations and Leo’s nomination was the biggest surprise of all. Included in the SAG and Golden Globes list, Leo is nowhere to be found when Oscar came around.
Ryan Gosling-Drive, Crazy, Stupid Love & The Ides of March
3 performances, 3 buzz worthy films and no nominations this year. A harsh reality for the most talked about actor of the season. Whether it was for Drive, Crazy Stupid Love or George Clooney’s The Ides of March, Gosling gets no love from the golden statue. Why?

                                                                  BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close-Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis-The Help-WANT TO WIN
Rooney Mara-The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep-The Iron Lady-WINNER
Michelle Williams-My Week With Marilyn-WANT TO WIN

Surprise
NONE

Snub
Tilda Swinton-We Need to Talk About Kevin Tilda Swinton’s performance in the brilliant We need to Talk about Kevin should’ve been rewarded with a nomination. She received praise for her portrayal and Rooney’s turn is Fincher The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo took her place!

                                                          BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh-My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill-Moneyball
Nick Nolte –Warrior
Christopher Plummer-Beginners-WINNER/WANT
Max Von Sydow-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Surprises

Jonah Hill-Moneyball-His performance was good and a definite turn for the comedian but was it Oscar worthy? Not as much as the snub in the category. A definite surprise of a hell of a coup for his career.

Snubs
Albert Brooks-Drive-A stellar performance and an amazing comeback for the veteran actor. His portrayal was raw and true and it doesn’t seem that the academy likes him so much.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Bérénice Bejo- The Artist
Jessica Chastain- The Help
Melissa McCarthy- Bridesmaid
Janet McTeer- Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer-The Help-WINNER/WANT

Surprise
Melissa McCarthy-Bridesmaid The funny girl has arrived and Cinderella definitely arrived at the final ball of her fairy tale of a year. Oscar is not a huge fan of comedy, especially not raunchy comedy, but McCarthy broke the ice and scored nominations in every awards in the circuit this year, whether it was for TV or film.  
Snubs

Shailene Woodley-The Descendants-If Jonah Hill scored a nomination, Ms. Woodley, surely deserved one. Never thought that her name and Oscar would be in the same sentence after seeing her in the soapy teenage TV show The Secret Life of the American Teenager but... she surely showed us! This goes to show that actors are as good as the material they receive. A definite switch, Woodley surprised critics with her intense performance and her ability to become a true sparring partner to the great George Clooney.

1 hot guy a day for 1 week 2012 edition-Superhero edition

                      

Super heroes are admired for their selflessness, courage, determination and upholding justice. When there is a cinematic superhero adaptation every 6 months its hard not to admire them for something else than these excellent personality traits. When Superman, Batman, Thor and Green Lantern (to name a few) are not animated, their physical traits (and abilities), well.. are greatly admired! I'm sure that with these, superheroes won't be just for boys anymore! Here are, for your eyes only, Henry Cavill, Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale and Ryan Reynolds. Enjoy!!

1 hot guy a day for 1 week 2012 edition Bradley Cooper

 

Ok so he caused a frenzy in Montreal last summer when he passed by to shoot his latest film The Words. So here is People magazine's sexiest man alive 2011 and 2nd post in the 2012 edition of 1 hot man a day for 1 week=Mr. Bradley Cooper!!!

1 hot guy a day for 1 week-2012 edition Ryan Gosling

First on the roster is this year's golden boy and the only actor who knew how to make a decent romantic comedy...Ryan Gosling! To understand where I'm coming from, if you don't already do, check out this clip of Crazy Stupid Love which illustrates my exact thoughts!

Coup de Coeur 2011: Yes, still on the Fassbender bender...

2011 is not his breakout year, it's a more important year. In 2011 Fassbender finally established himself as one of Hollywood's elite. Nominated for a Golden Globe for his nearly perfect performance in Shame, his second collaboration with director Steve McQueen, Fassbender is now rubbing shoulders with heavy hitters like Pitt and Clooney.

Needless to say Steve McQueen is part of every high point in Fassbender's career. He gave him the powerful role of Bobby Sands in his first opus Hunger. Fassbender's intense portrayal garnered him acclaim from fans and critics alike.

This year, Fassbender perfectly combined independent and big budget movies giving him the visiblity he lacked and insured his credibility. This combination forged his place on the top of the Hollywood food chain.

This new face on the Hollywood landscape is shaking our notion of masculinity. Fassbender exudes masculinity and gave the strong silent type another shot to be sexy.

His inner strength is what makes his performances so compelling and sexy as hell!

This year might be done abut Fassbender is still on a role. Next on the roster is Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and Ridley Scott's highly anticipated latest venture into outer space with Prometheus.

To understand this Fassbender obsession watch

Hunger

Fish Tank

Inglorious Basterds

X-Men First Class

Shame