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Oscar Nominee: Across the Universe for Best Costume Design

BuzzSugar — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:00:51 -0800

In the days leading up until the Oscars, I'll be featuring the nominees in the various visual categories. This week, I'll be looking at the nominees for Best Costume Design. This category plays a huge role in film making, as costumes can make or break the authenticity of a film, convey things that words cannot, or just add to the overall magic on the big screen. Today's featured movie is Across the Universe.

Though some criticized the overall job Julie Taymor did converting the beloved Beatles songbook into a musical, it is hard to deny the quality of the film's feast for the eyes. Taymor became one of the most innovative forces on Broadway when she brought the Disney animated film The Lion King to the stage in a way no one had ever seen before (think: giant puppets). So it's no suprise that the costumes in this film reach beyond the traditional period piece decadence and into effects that include background dancers dressed in larger-than-life, puppet-like pieces. The overall effect is extremely, well, trippy - which is exactly what a movie musical nostalgic for the psychedelic mood of the '60s should invoke. No wonder Oscar took notice.

To check out a bunch of pictures from the film, read more

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Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below you can view Cate Blanchett's award-nominated performance in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Jane Austen Book Club, which I featured as one of my February Must Haves. Additionally, the Jodi Foster thriller The Brave One, which I liked well enough, is now on DVD.

The Assassination of Jess James by the Coward Robert Ford
This movie adaptation of Ron Hansen's acclaimed novel brings to life two infamous personalities of the American wild West. Notorious outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) befriends what amounts to a latter-day celeb stalker, Robert Ford. Played by Casey Affleck who has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal, Ford is a man looking for fame and will do just about anything to attain it.

I enjoyed this movie, despite some awkward pacing and artifice. The visualizations of the West and solid performances make this a great choice for home-theater viewing.

It's a fun week for DVDs so read more.

Across the Universe
I once described the look and feel of Across the Universe as a shroom-induced dream set to Beatles songs, and I stand by that description. Using the Fab Four's music, a romantic plot line, and trippy visual effects, director Julie Taymor takes audiences through the ups and downs of the 1960s. The result is an ambitious, psychedelic attempt to capture a moment in time, and I give it an "A" for effort.

The burning question you'll probably have when viewing these crazy visuals is, "How'd they do that?" Thus, the two-disc DVD set is highly satisfying with all its making-of featurettes. Also, the commentary by Taymor gives great background on why she chose the '60s as her backdrop and how the Beatles inspired her.

2 Days in Paris
Julie Delpy wrote, stars in, directed, and composed the music for this comedy that co-stars Adam Goldberg. I had a chance to talk with Delpy about this film, and it was clear she has a serious interest in exploring what makes modern relationships tick. The film follows a neurotic yet lovable couple that spends two awkward days in Paris where Marion's (Delpy's) family forces them to confront their relationship issues, not to mention their cultural differences. Overall, the movie is a charming take on all the work that goes into love nowadays. Special features include five deleted scenes and an interview with Julie Delpy.

Movie Preview: Across the Universe

BuzzSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe seriously seems to defy categorization. It's dramatic, romantic, musical and historical, though there are some pretty out-there elements to it as well. As you can probably guess from this image featuring Eddie Izzard, the style is rather whimsical to the point of being, well, trippy.

According to an IMDB description, "An original musical film, Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll... A combination of live action and painted and three-dimensional animation, the film is paired with many Beatles songs that defined the time."

After viewing the trailer, I've decided that if I had a shroom-induced dream set to Beatles songs, it would probably look a lot like this. The movie is now playing in select theaters, so to check out the weird, but not altogether terrible trailer, read more

Across the Universe photo courtesy of Sony Pictures