Dreaming in Gold

The 88th Academy Award will go down in history as the year that Leonardo DiCaprio finally nabbed the once very elusive gold statuette, after 25 years in the industry and 5 previous nominations, our favorite guy trumped the competition & we all felt like we won alongside him, call it the DiCaprio Effect!

Fantastic Four: Big winners of the night!

Girl Talk: Brie Larson, Cate Blanchett & Kate Winslet gathered before the ceremony for a quick chat

Cookie Time: Girl Scouts brought out cookies to sell

Leo & Kate

What’s in the Label: Kate seemed ready to devour some cookie

Chris Rock: the host rocked the show with his quit witted humor

Spy: Mark Rylance surprise everyone as the triumphant Supporting Actor winner

Princesses: newly-minted Oscar winners had a surreal moment

88th Academy Awards winners list: 

Best Picture: “Spotlight”

Direction: “The Revenant,” Alejandro G. Ińarritu

Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”

Actress: Brie Larson, “Room”

Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”

Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”

Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short,” Charles Randolph and Adam McKay

Original Screenplay: “Spotlight,” Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy

Cinematography: “The Revenant,” Emmanuel Lubezki

Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (set decoration)

Film Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Margaret Sixel

Visual Effects: “Ex Machina,” Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett

Costume Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Jenny Beavan

Makeup: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin

Sound Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Mark Mangini and David White

Sound Mixing: “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo

Score: “The Hateful Eight,” Ennio Morricone

Song: “Writing’s on the Wall,” from “Spectre,” Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul” (Hungary)

Animated Feature: “Inside Out”

Documentary Feature: “Amy”

*For more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

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Best Dressed: Academy Awards 2016

And it’s finally here! After months and months of press tours, movie premieres and award shows, the hottest ticket in town and the grand finale of the season, the Academy Awards is upon us and with it comes a parade of couture pieces fresh off the runway and some, even custom made just for the event. Many have dubbed the ceremony as the Superbowl, the World Series, the Olympics if you will of the film industry with the most genetically-gifted participants with the most glorious gowns! Now that’s one hell of an Olympics!

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior (a look I predicted she’ll wear btw 😉

Rooney Mara in custom Givenchy Haute Couture with Fred Leighton jewels

Julianne Moore in Chanel Couture with Chopard earrings

Brie Larson in Gucci

The stars always save their best looks for this event, pulling all the stops with their dresses, shoes and jewels and this year’s eminent trends are pastel-hued creations, with flowing silhouettes, dainty details adorned with dripping diamonds and sky high stilettos! This year’s red carpet was a big step-up from last year which was a little more subdued and classic in nature, this year is a little more fun, girly but still very old Hollywood.

Let’s kick things off with Star Wars heroine, Daisy Ridley who made quite the impression in a powdered blue Chanel couture dress which features a tea length and intricate beadwork that’s perfect for her because it’s fun, delicate and certainly a “rising star look”. 

 

Another young actress and nominee, Saoirse Ronan has been killing it lately with one fabulous gown to another but this one is surprisingly different from the other looks we’ve seen her in. She wore a custom Calvin Klein creation that is a bit risqué and features strategic cutouts  which she paired with mismatched Chopard accessories, a smokey make-up and finger-combed tresses (accdg to @hairbyadir who did her hair). 

Maternity fashion never looked so good! Emily Blunt debuted her baby bump in a pastel pink Prada number with crystal details and an empire waist silhouette that accentuated her bump well. You would think that Emily would keep it safe with a column gown but she wasn’t afraid to add a bit of a train in the mix,  now this is how you dress for the Oscars if you’re expecting! 

Emily’s costar in the upcoming The Hunstman, Charlize Theron also showed up in a major fashion moment with a daring Dior Haute Couture dress that fit her statuesque frame flawlessly. Did I mention that she’s dripping in a total of 3.75million worth of Harry Winston diamonds? Because she totally is! This is a showstopper, this is what a movie star looks like!  

Another jaw-dropping style moment and runner-up for my best dressed is courtesy of Cate Blanchett – I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again,  if there’s someone who can deliver drama to the red carpet it’s going to be Cate and she delivered! Elsa definitely would want to steal this seafoam-colored custom Armani Privé work of art that featured floral adornments and accessorised with Tiffany & Co. jewels. Wow! 

For my best dressed of them all and the night’s belle (pun intended) of the ball, Alicia Vikander stunned everyone with in her own words “a dusty yellow” custom Louis Vuitton high-low ball gown. This is a departure from her usually more structured and edgy looks from the last weeks, this time she embraced her inner Belle, had a princess moment and won the night! Beautiful! 

Stay tuned for more on the actual ceremony coming up next on the blog.

*For more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

-F

 

 

Overlooked

The Oscars is in no less than 24hrs and although I agree that the crop of Best Picture nominees are all magnificent films in their own different ways, there’s still some that were left out for reasons I’m just not quite clear on. These films in my opinion, deserves the same recognition or even just the attention that the other films are receiving.

I’m confident that a lot of people would back me up when I say that Ex Machina was one of the past year’s most extraordinary film with performances from Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander who starred as a humanoid robot which I think should be garnering her the awards buzz instead of her role in The Danish Girl but that’s just me. Ex Machina which is directed and written by Alex Garland (Never Let Me Go, Dredd) opened on limited release which is a shame because it’s such a thrilling film and should be seen by more people.

Now, while I’m not suggesting that this Sundance film should be a Best Picture contender but It should at least be in consideration for the writing awards and maybe a Golden Globe Comedy mention instead of Trainwreck because Mistress America is just that good! It’s directed by Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, While We’re Young) and stars Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke as two young women exploring the world and finding who they are. The plot sounds all too familiar but what this film does is work from a familiar territory; the more you thought you know what’s gonna lead to what, the more the film will astonish you of where it could go.

Sicario was widely-received when it premiered in Cannes and even more so when it shattered the public on its wide release. The film was a display of what a crime film should be, searing and blistering with suspense and surrounded by such a high calibre cast lead by Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro both of whom baffles me that they didn’t get the recognitions they are due. Sicario was brilliant and powerful, Dennis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Enemy) did it again!

Unlike Sicario, The Lobster is a quieter, a more offbeat and quite understandably overlooked for it’s a film that requires a certain imagination and a ready participation from the audience. Yorgos Lanthimos’ (Dogtooth) Cannes offering is a peculiar story about love in a dystopian setting and stars Colin Farrell & Rachel Weisz who were superb as they navigate their strange environment and try to fulfill societal expectations. This film is an acquired taste and not for everybody, but that doesn’t mean it should have been overlooked for the writing categories which is exactly what happened, it should have been recognised more for it revolutionized how storytelling should be.

On the morning of the Oscar nomination Carol was supposed to be up for 8 categories but alas it garnered only 6 – although that’s a pretty impressive number it certainly was robbed in the Best Director (for Todd Haynes) and Best Picture categories. Is it because it’s a film with two women at the center? Is it because it’s a lesbian love story? Cate Blanchett (plays the titular role) seem to think so. I was as bewildered as the rest of the public as to why it was left out in the Picture race when it’s a film that’s got it all right and quite frankly, was absolutely better than the other films nominated – it was masterfully crafted, exquisitely acted by Cate & Rooney Mara with extraordinary costumes (Sandy Powell), a nuanced screenplay (Phyllis Nagy), a mesmerizing cinematography (Ed Lachman) and a spellbinding score (Carter Burwell) which thankfully all of whom were recognized by the Academy.

Here’s hoping that with the #Oscarsowhite and #Oscarsostraight conversations, we’ll be looking at a lot more different and diversified Academy roster in the future.

-F

Runway to Red Carpet

It’s been a long road leading to the Oscars and on three days, the long wait will be over and all our questions will be answered – will Leonardo DiCaprio finally be able to snatch that elusive honor, will Alejandro G. Iñarritu pull a back-to-back win, what film will take home Best Picture and most importantly, what will our favorite stars be wearing? Lol let’s face it, we’re all excited to see how Chris Rock will do as a 2nd-time host and who the winners will be but with a roster of nominees as stylish as this year, I’m talking Blanchett! Lawrence! Mara! Vikander! etc. it’s always the most fun to see what glorious gowns these ladies will wear on the biggest night in Hollywood so… allow me to indulge and share which gowns from the different fashion weeks I’d like to see on the red carpet. *PLEASE BEAR WITH MY PHOTOSHOP SKILLS(?)*

ALICIA VIKANDER: This is her first awards season plus she’s the face of Louis Vuitton so  naturally, she’ll wear a gown by the brand but there’s no way of telling what it will look like as it will most likely be a custom one made especially for her for the occasion. Her style is very ladylike but always with a little bit of edge so I chose for her a red lacey Rodarte (left) number which is right up her alley and an off the shoulder Oscar Dela Renta (right) look which is a little vampy but she could totally pull it off and I totally could see her winning an Oscar in this look. I’m hoping Vuitton could make her something that’s close to either of this two!  

JENNIFER LAWRENCE: Like Alicia, JLaw’s dress would also be tricky to put together as she is the face of Dior and it’s almost 100% sure that she will wear something custom and something we’ve never seen on the runway but if their recent show is any indication, we could be looking at a sexier, more daring Jennifer on the red carpet come Oscar night. Just add the extra length and insert some linings and voila, both of these could be an Oscar-worthy look!

SAOIRSE RONAN: She isn’t new to the scene but this is her first season as a full fledged leading lady and it’s only fitting to look the part, Saoirse is young and a splash of color really suits her especially the canary cutout Valentino (left) gown which is also reminiscent of a greek goddess look, in a good way of course! She could also play up her ethereal good looks and embrace the nature theme with a Zuhair Murad (right) work of art. 

RACHEL MCADAMS: Another Supporting Actress nominee, Rachel often favors girly frocks with a free-flowing silhouette and she’s often seen wearing Elie Saab creations so for the Oscars, you would think that I’d want her to experiment more but no, I want her to stick to what she does best because If it ain’t broke, right? I can already imagine her wearing either the intricately beaded Elie Saab (left) or the floral and lace combination from Oscar Dela Renta (right).

CATE BLANCHETT: There’s nothing more fun for an avid onlooker like myself than to witness “brave fashion”, pushing the style envelope by experimenting and being unafraid to wear just about anything and pulling it off effortlessly. Cate is a designer’s dream because she wears clothes with ease but never boring and if anyone’s going to bring drama to the red carpet it would be her, that’s why I’d like to see her in a caped Chanel couture gown (left) or a fiery Marchesa (right) dress with a form-fitting silhouette. 

ROONEY MARA: It’s true that Rooney almost always sticks with black and white but she always keeps it interesting by donning silhouettes only she could get away with and looks that on someone else could look a bit costume-y , she makes it work. She has a long standing relationship with Alexander McQueen so it’s safe to bet that the fashion house could lend her this magical caped creation (left), just add a lining and this could instantly be an iconic Oscar moment. I could also see her going the romantic route with Marchesa (right) and it’d also be magical! 

BRIE LARSON: As the one to beat and the favorite to win, Brie will need a princess moment and I want her to have that so to her stylist, please put her in a full skirt or better yet a ball gown! Just a quick call to Mr. Valentino to make it floor length could make this look (left) a winner in its own right or if she wants to go the more subtle princess moment, I also can imagine her in this delicate blush Carolina Herrera (right) look.

*for more updates follow @thefword.co on Instagram

-F

 

 

Fashion Spotlight: Alicia Vikander

I’ve mentioned Vikanderssaince a few times in some of my posts already and you might be asking, is it just me favouring Alicia Vikander so much or is it really a thing. Well, she did have five films (Man From U.N.C.L.E., Ex Machina, Seventh Son, Burnt and The Danish Girl) released last year, she was named as the new face of Louis Vuitton, she’s dating hot Irish actor Michael Fassbender and she could possibly win an Academy Award at the end of this month so… It’s pretty apparent that she’s having a moment.

Her best Louis Vuitton looks to date during the many premiere events of The Danish Girl

While last month’s fashion spotlight, Rooney follows a black and white uniform on the red carpet, Alicia also has a uniform – Louis Vuitton, of course! As the brand’s ambassador, she has full access to everything it has to offer; from her shoes, bags and gowns, she’s seen rocking them all. Though we see her from time to time in other brands like Marc Jacobs and Erdem, she always goes back to Louis Vuitton, after all her style has become synonymous to the brand’s feminine yet edgy and soft but structured aesthetic.

Runway: her best looks while attending the brand’s runway shows

LVD: forget LBD, Alicia has Louis Vuitton Dresses!

Print: never shy to experiment on the red carpet

Buckle up: the girl could rock the entire collection!

The Oscars is coming and I hope Louis Vuitton creates her something magical because as of now, her best red carpet moment yet was in Valentino during last year’s Cannes Film Festival.

In Valentino Couture

*She can be seen next on The Light Between Oceans, The Untitled Bourne Film and Tulip Fever. 

for more updates follow @thefword.co on Instagram

-F

Best Dressed: BAFTA Awards 2016

Movie stars travelled across the pond for the British Academy Awards (BAFTA), known as the well, British counterpart of the Oscars, the stars pulled all the stops on the red carpet for a glorious night of movies, fashion and glamour!

The award show took place during Valentine’s Day so some stars showed up in the festive hue and understandably so, like Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) who’s at the event as a Rising Star nominee but lost out to Star Wars’ John Boyega. No worries though, Dakota still won the night in a silk Dior number, a crimson pout and a no-fuss hair. 

After being a no-show from several award shows these past weeks, Cate Blanchett (Carol) is back with another sartorial hit in a custom Alexander McQueen creation which was both floral and feathered! Not that’s something we didn’t see coming!

Who says black can’t be romantic? The face of Louis Vuitton and double nominee, Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Danish Girl) strikes another style points in the brand’s chic leather dress that weighs 35lbs! Wait, what? 

Another star who’s feeling the festive air was the Mother of Dragons, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) who stunned in a Victoria Beckham body-hugging number that’s both sexy and classy. 

Runner-up for best dressed at the BAFTA is Rooney Mara (Carol) who continues her winning style streak in a Givenchy eyelet cut-out shoulder number which almost matches her alabaster skin. She kept it simple, just adding a thick statement headband to accessorize the entire look. 

The best look of the night was courtesy of the fresh and talented, Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) who always shows up in something always interesting but never inappropriate. This custom Burberry column gown which features an intricate amount of beadwork suited her perfectly for it reflected her youthful elegance. 

-F

 

The Danish Girl

A year after Eddie Redmayne‘s Academy award-winning turn as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, he proves again that when it comes to full physical and emotional transformation, he’s the guy for the job – The Danish Girl is a biographical drama based on the life of artist Einer Wegener, one of the first people who attempted sex reassignment surgery which took place in the late 1920s. Redmayne stars with Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E) as his wife Gerda Wegener, a fellow artist who one day asked her husband to stand-in for her female model who was running late for their portrait session, thus began a series of role-playing culminating in Einer’s ultimate life-changing decision.

Directed by Tom Hooper (Les Miserables, The King’s Speech) with his tasteful guidance, the film reflects a story of personal struggle and portrait of a marriage at the same time but having said that, it’s also not hard to wish that the film could have been more daring; more real and less of a film.

The Danish Girl revolves around Redmayne’s Einer and although he was nothing short of phenomenal, the real revelation of this film was “The Swedish Girl” Vikander who, not only was sublime as she was subtle, she was also brave yet tender in the film’s most pivotal scenes especially during the times when she’s slowly realizing that her husband is never to come back and her life would never be the same again. She had quite the year last year with at least 5 films released, now an Actor under her belt and a possible Oscar on the horizon, hey Vikanderssaince was coined for a reason!

 

-F

 

 

And the Actor goes to…

With the controversial #Oscarsowhite, still a heated discussion among the industry, the SAG Awards proved otherwise. In fact, many African-American actors took home top honors as the ceremony gave one Actor after another to a diverse group of recipients. Kicking off the show was the award for Supporting Female Actor in a Comedy was Uzo Aduba of Orange is the New Black which also won the top honor for the ensemble in a comedy and as all those who are watching the show knows, OITNB features a diverse group of women from all backgrounds. For film, the Actors Guild recognized what the Academy failed to, Idris Elba collected two awards (for Luther & Beasts of No Nation)! The guild also honored Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) and Queen Latifah (Bessie). Lastly, the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award was given to comedy legend and pioneer, Carol Burnett who gave a simple yet meaningful speech about her life as a woman comedian during a time where comedy was considered a “man’s game”.

Constant Companions: Oscar favorites DiCaprio and Larson can’t help their smiles

Comedy Legend: Carol Burnett collected the top honors!

Funny Ladies: Tina & Amy presented Burnett her award

Back to back!

Two-time winner as Crazy Eyes

Transparent’s Jeffrey Tambor

The Swedish Girl: Vikander in tears as she won for The Danish Girl

Big winner!

Queen Latifah

Downton Abbey’s final hoorah!

How to Get an Award: as told by Viola Davis

FU aka Kevin Spacey

Rachel Rachel

Spotlight: the ensemble took home the last award

 

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
SPOTLIGHT

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
DOWNTON ABBEY

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
BRIE LARSON “ROOM”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
LEONARDO DICAPRIO “THE REVENANT”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
VIOLA DAVIS “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
KEVIN SPACEY “HOUSE OF CARDS”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
JEFFREY TAMBOR “TRANSPARENT”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ALICIA VIKANDER “THE DANISH GIRL”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
IDRIS ELBA “BEASTS OF NO NATION”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
QUEEN LATIFAH “BESSIE”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
IDRIS ELBA “LUTHER”

Here’s a picture of Ryan Gosling being absolutely dashing and perfect because let’s be honest, he’s always a winner.

-F

Best Dressed: Golden Globe Awards 2016

It’s that time of the year! When stars descend to The Beverly Hilton to walk the red carpet decked in sparkling jewels and designer creations. The 73rd Golden Globe Awards honors the best in film and television and that one night a year where the women of Orange is the New Black rub elbows with the cast of Downton Abbey or Khaleesi could end up in a photo with Leo DiCaprio (hey, a girl can dream!) And this year, Ricky Gervais is back as the host so really, anything can happen but more of that later!

For now, let’s focus on the red carpet and there’s only three things you need to know: colors, sparkles and unkempt hair!

What better way to kick things off than with the night’s big winner and everyone’s best friend, Jennifer Lawrence who won for her film Joy by director you guessed it, David O. Russell who also happened to be her date for the gathering. We saw the conclusion of the mega blockbuster franchise of The Hunger Games but it seems like JLaw isn’t quite ready to give up the role yet as she showed up as the girl on fire in a fiery cutout creation by again, you guessed it Dior (duh).

 

From one Jennifer to another, Jennifer Lopez surprised everyone with a look that was so erm.. un-J.Lolike. The American Idol judge and presenter looked like a movie star in a color she described as “mustard, marigoldy yellow” designed by Giambattista Valli which was accessorised with Chopard jewels and a bold lip.

 

Aside from splashy colors, sequins also made quite the appearance at the bash with last year’s Best Actress Julianne Moore showing up in a sequined Tom Ford with Mr. Tom Ford himself accompanying her on the red carpet! The navy blue dress which featured an open-back and a cut-out neckline complimented her signature red locks and her alabaster skin.

 

Another actress who’s also feeling sparkly was golden girl (literally!) Brie Larson, star of Room, breakout artist of the year and Golden Globe winner tonight showed up in a custom Calvin Klein creation which showcased her toned tummy, svelte arms and just basically #bodygoals.

 

Also showing off her enviable figure was presenter Olivia Wilde who wore a custom Michael Kors creation, this would’ve been my favorite look of the night if it wasn’t for her matching eye make-up (oops) but the rest of the look works for me. She can be next seen in the upcoming Martin Scorsese HBO series.

 

For my favorite of the night, Cinderella and perennial English rose Lily James cascaded down the red carpet in a beautiful dress by Marchesa – now, some might say that it’s a bit bridal but I beg to differ because it reminded me more of a swan than of a bride plus her disheveled hair and the smokey eye make-up helped too!

 

Following in Lily’s lead are more stars wearing white and others who showed up in blush tones (another trend of the night).

(L-R) Taraji P. Henson in Stella McCartney, Eva Longoria in Georges Hobeika, Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton, Laverne Cox in Elizabeth Kennedy

 

(L-R) Taraji P. Henson in Stella McCartney, Eva Longoria in Georges Hobeika, Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton, Laverne Cox in Elizabeth Kennedy

Full disclosure, these were the looks that I liked but not a single one of it really blew me away I was expecting Cate Blanchett or Alicia Vikander to do that but to no avail and unfortunately it’s a no Emma Stone/no Marion Cotillard year too so… ANYWAY! They better bring it on the Screen Actors Guild!

-F

 

The Kickoff: Awards Season 2016

The 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival aka the official start of the year’s awards season attracted some of the biggest names of Tinseltown. The list of honorees include Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling & Brad Pitt and that’s just for one film! They were honored for their work as an ensemble in “The Big Short” but unfortunately Gosling and Pitt couldn’t make it.

The fete featured many highlights all thanks to the honorees who all had one too many drinks before they took to the stage thus resulting to goofy speeches, calling out “horrible castmates” (thanks Steve Carrell) and some onstage dancing action.

Open Arms: Cate Blanchett receiving the Palm Desert Achievement Award from another honoree Saoirse Ronan

“Swedeheart”: Alicia Vikander receives the Rising Star Award

Christian Bale representing The Big Short

Girl Talk: Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander talks backstage

Chummy costars: International Star honoree Michael Fassbender sharing a laugh with Kate Winslet

Icon: Johnny Depp and his Achievement Award

The Martian: Matt Damon received the Chairman’s Award

Face Time: Carol lovers talk before the ceremony

 

Honorees:

Chairman’s Award:

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Palm Desert Achievement Awards:

Cate Blanchett (Carol) & Johnny Depp (Black Mass)

Spotlight Awards:

Rooney Mara (Carol) & Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)

Ensemble Performance Award:

Cast of The Big Short

International Star Awards:

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) & Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

Breakthrough Performance Award:

Brie Larson (Room)

Rising Star Award:

Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

-F