Period Drama at the Oscars 2012

The Artist

The Artist has 10 Oscar nominations:

• Best Picture- WINNER!!!
• Best Actor- Jean Dujardin- WINNER!!!
• Best Supporting Actress- Bérénice Bejo
• Best Directing- Michel Hazanavicius- WINNER!!!
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Original Score- WINNER!!!
• Best Film Editing
• Best Costume Design-WINNER!!!
• Best Cinematography
• Best Art Direction

The Help

The Help has 4 Oscar nominations:

• Best Picture
• Best Actress-Viola Davis
• Best Supporting Actress- Octavia Spencer- WINNER!!!
• Best Supporting Actress- Jessica Chastain

Hugo

Hugo is nominated for 11 Oscars:

• Best Picture
• Best Directing- Martin Scorsese
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Visual Effects- WINNER!!!
• Best Sound Mixing- WINNER!!!
• Best Sound Editing- WINNER!!!
• Best Musical Score
• Best Film Editing
• Best Costume Design
• Best Cinematography-WINNER!!!
• Best Art Direction- WINNER!!!

Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris is nominated for 4 Oscars:

• Best Picture
• Best Direction- Woody Allen- WINNER!!!
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Art Direction

Tree of Life

Tree of Life is nominated for 3 Oscars:

• Best Picture
• Best Direction- Terrence Malick
• Best Cinematography

War Horse

War Horse is nominated for 6 Oscars:

• Best Picture
• Best Original Score
• Best Cinematography
• Best Art Direction
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is nominated for 3 Oscars:

• Best Actor- Gary Oldman
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Original Score

Albert Nobbs

Albert Nobbs is nominated for 3 Oscars:

• Best Actress- Glenn Close
• Best Supporting Actress- Janet McTeer
• Best Makeup

The Iron Lady

The Iron Lady is nominated for 2 Oscars:

• Best Actress- Meryl Streep- WINNER!!!
• Best Makeup- WINNER!!!

My Week with Marilyn

My Week with Marilyn is nominated for 2 Oscars:

• Best Actress- Michelle Williams
• Best Supporting Actor- Kenneth Branagh

Anonymous

Anonymous is nominated for one Oscar:

• Best Costumes

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre is nominated for one Oscar:

• Best Costumes

W. E.

W. E. is nominated for one Oscar:

• Best Costumes

That's 13 period drama films nominated for Oscars! Amazing!! I have seen 8 of them and enjoyed each and every one.  I do wish I had read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy before I saw the film however as it was a bit hard to follow. I haven't seen The Artist, My Week With Marilyn, Albert Nobbs, Tree of Life or W.E.. I plan to see all of those, with the possible exception of Tree of Life, unless one of my readers tells me it's definitely worth seeing. It just looks a bit weird to me. But even W.E. (which has been panned by critics) looks like it would be at least a good rental.

Great year for flicks! Enjoy the Oscars tonight everyone.

Tom Hiddleston- Actor of the Week

Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston is getting lots of press lately for his role in War Horse. But we have seen him in a few other period dramas in the past few years (and a Superhero film too!).

Tom Hiddleston as John Plumptree in Miss Austen Regrets

The first time I was aware of Tom Hiddleston was as the adorably clueless John Plumptree trying to woo Jane Austen's niece Fanny Knight in Miss Austen Regrets. He was just so EARNEST!

Tom Hiddleston as William Buxton in Return to Cranford

His lovely curly hair was again on display as the perfectly sweet and wonderfully egalitarian William Buxton in Return to Cranford. Wouldn't we all love to untie that cravat?

Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Thor

This is the only time I have seen his hair dark and straight! As the bad boy Loki in the Superhero flick Thor, he looked like he was having fun NOT being the good guy for a change. He reprises his Loki role later this year in The Avengers.

Tom Hiddleston as F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris

His hair is slicked down into waves for F. Scott Fitzgerald in Woody Allen's wonderful Midnight in Paris. I have seen this film 3 times and I would love to see it again. Ooo-la-la!

Tom Hiddleston as Captain Nicholls in War Horse

Now look at those expressive eyebrows as Captain Nicholls in War Horse. I have not seen this one yet, but my birthday is coming up so perhaps The Squire will accompany me to the cinema. He really does have quite extraordinary brows doesn't he?

Tom Hiddleston and horse in War Horse

Apparently he is now working on playing Prince Hal opposite Jeremy Irons in Henry IV, a TV miniseries production from NBC Universal being distributed by BBC2 and PBS. Can't wait, sounds great!

Have you got a favourite out of these or other roles of Tom Hiddleston's? By the way, is that a great English name or what?

P.S. He got a double first in Classics at Cambridge University (Pembroke College). For those of us not in the UK, that means he's really really smart as well as cute!

Midnight in Paris- Time travel in the City of Light

Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen (poster inspired by The Starry Night by Van Gogh)

I am still jet-lagged from a whirlwind trip to Paris and Amsterdam with my husband (The Squire) and our two teen boys. "Wow" is about all I can say. Although impressed with both cities, my thoughts keep returning to Paris. I watched Midnight in Paris twice earlier in the summer in anticipation of my first trip to Paris. Loved it both times and now I feel like watching it again to feel that Parisian glow again...

Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard in Midnight in Paris

I adored this film, although I am not normally a Woody Allen fan. Apparently I now have to see Purple Rose of Cairo as well however, as it seems to be the absolute fave of the die hard Allen fans. Midnight in Paris has nostalgia (for better or worse), time travel and an absolute feast for the senses. The music, the scenery...well I don't want to build it up too much, just go and enjoy.

Rachael McAdams as the slightly obnoxious American fiancee of Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson plays a successful but insecure Hollywood screenplay writer (aka the Woody Allen type) who accompanies his  fiancée and her family to Paris and becomes painfully aware of the differences in their interests and goals after some magical midnight walks.

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald from one of the "Midnight in Paris" journeys back to the 1920s

This film will make you want to bone up on your history of art/literature/music of the 1920s (and of the Belle Époque) after Woody Allen crams in as many allusions to the past as he can manage in one film.

The Pont Alexandre III in the rain

Even rain in Paris is glorified as seen above in the final scene on the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III. We had a spot of rain in this area of Paris followed by a double rainbow over the Seine, so I cannot argue with the magic there! We were also befriended by a lovely 75 year old Parisian a few days later and invited to his apartment for wine, cheese, seafood and conversation so truly, anything can happen in Paris. Sigh.......

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh (found at MOMA in NYC-not in Paris)

P.S. Thanks to my Big Sister for the great guest post while I was away. Merci bien!

P.P.S. Kudos to Michael Sheen as a hilarious pseudo-intellectual and to Adrian Brody and Kathy Bates for their very entertaining Salvador Dalí and Gertrude Stein. 



Here are a few other films with a French influence which you might enjoy...