Academy Awards 2013 Best Dressed

The Academy Awards also known as the Oscars is known to attract the most famous and most powerful actors in the industry, that is why I’m so excited to see what everyone’s going to wear! Since this is the hottest ticket in Tinseltown, the stars flocked together and made sure to bring their A-games in the red carpet! There’s gonna be a lot of nude/white! It seems that nude/white is the new black and I love it!

Here are my top ten best dressed! Shall we?

Let’s begin with big winner, Ben Affleck’s ladylove… Jennifer Garner who brought some much needed color in a plum Gucci creation, which I’d like to call as very “Moulin Rouge-y”! She completed the look with that dazzling Neil Lane necklace and Roger Vivier clutch. Can I just say, beautiful!

From one fabulous gown to another, America’s Sweetheart and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock looked ravishing in an intricately beaded creation by Marchesa which showed off her amazing frame! Now, Sandra is one of those ladies who doesn’t always gets it right but this year, she’s right on target!

Hollywood veteran Jane Fonda puts actresses half her age to shame with this head-turning Versace number! She’s 75 but doesn’t look a day over 50! Way to go, Jane!

For the next one, she is no Hollywood leading lady BUT hey, she’s George Clooney’s leading lady! Stacy Keibler towered in a Naeem Khan dress which hugged her in all the right places – she accessorized with Giuseppe Zanotti heels and Lorraine Schwartz jewels, stunning!

From one statuesque stunner to another, Zoe Saldana looks incredible in an Alexis Mabille couture! She’s a mix of both classy and trendy especially with those Neil Lane jewels and Roger Vivier peep-toes and that touch of black at the end of her gown!
PS. Ex-boyfriend Bradley Cooper was a nominee…Awkward?

One of the industry’s “girl of the moment” made her presence known by wearing a CUSTOM Alexander McQueen! Amanda Seyfried was breathtaking as she walked down the red carpet in a number made especially for her and some Lorraine Schwartz jewels! What I love about her look is that it’s classy but really fresh and young! Who else can say they have an Alexander McQueen made just for them?

All cameras were on her when she stepped on the red carpet, Naomi Watts always knows how to make heads turn! She sparkled quite literally in a gorgeous Armani Prive creation! And as if she hasn’t got enough sparkle, she added Neil Lane jewels! Now, that’s how you show up to the Oscars!

Best Supporting Actress nominee for her work in The Master, Amy Adams looks every bit a Hollywood royalty in an Oscar de la Renta ball gown! And I love that her hair was worn in an updo, giving the glorious gown all the attention it rightfully needs!

On to the best dressed runner-up! Best Actress nominee Jessica Chastain was mind-boggling in this Armani Prive stunner! She oozes old Hollywood glamour which I adore and those fiery locks were the perfect accents for this monotone creation! I’m so elated at how glamorous she looks! She may not be this year’s oscar winner but she’s definitely ravishing! PS. Does she remind you of a modern day Jessica Rabbit? I do!

Unfortunately for Jessica Chastain, it seems like It girl Jennifer Lawrence also managed to upstage her in the best dressed category! JLaw blew everyone away when she showed up wearing this impeccable creation from her favorite, Dior Haute Couture. JLaw pulled off the white ball gown by accentuating it with Chopard earring and necklace which she wore backwards! her elegant updo also did the trick by putting her face the main attraction! She definitely saved the best for last! Beautiful.

Oh, did I mention she won the Oscar for Lead Actress? Could she be more perfect?

Before I end, I just want to express my disappointment with regards to Charlize Theron’s red carpet choice; I mean, she’s gorgeous but she could have worn a more dramatic look which she always does! And probably the biggest disappointment, Anne Hathaway in Prada was a faux pas, it wasn’t chic at all! She should have worn something more classy at the same time dramatic for her big night. Aside from these, it was all good! And probably the most glamorous and sublte red carpet of the season!

Stay tuned for more about the ceremony later!

-F

for more updates, follow @faitharanas
all photos are from Google

Coming Soon: February

New segment on my blog!!!
An overview of all the next attractions for this month of February:

Hitchcock (Feb. 6)
Alfred Hitchcock, probably the most iconic director in all of Hollywood. I think that’s enough reason to go see this film! Ps. Hitchcock will only be released by Ayala Malls.

Mama (Feb. 6)
The moment I saw the trailer, I already knew I need to see this film. It is that compelling! Just proves how much a trailer can do so much to lure audiences and I tell you what, I’m totally lured!

Upside Down Feb. 6)
The story seemed interesting but unfortunately, the things I read on this film were not convinced. Oh well, I think I’ll still watch this one and see for myself.

Lincoln (Feb. 20)
2-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day Lewis; also a 2-time Academy Award winner, Sally Field; Joseph Gordon Levitt; Tommy Lee Jones; Directed and produced by THE Steven Spielberg. Need I say more?

Beautiful Creatures (Feb. 20)
Many have said that the book by which the film was based on was pretty amazing… So! I’m expecting this one to be as good and give the book justice. We’ll see…

Other February showing:
Broken City – Feb. 6
Flight – Feb. 13
A Good Day to Die Hard – Feb. 13
Safe Haven – Feb. 13
Playing for Keeps – Feb. 13
This is 40 – Feb. 20

-F

all photos are from Google

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013 Best Dressed

The 19th Annual “Screen Actors Guild Awards” was in full swing as movie stars and TV personalities alike strutted their stuff on the red carpet, showcasing the amazing creations of various designers. The award giving body also known as the SAG Awards, is awarded yearly by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television & Radio Arts to acknowledge chosen works by its members. But in here, we’ll award who did best on the red carpet! And yes, there were a lot of navy blue-to-black numbers!

Claire Danes in Givenchy; Tina Fey in Oscar Dela Renta; Amy Poehler in Zuhair Murad

Without further ado, French beauty and Female Actor in a Leading Role nominee for her work in Rust & Bone, Marion Cotillard kicks off the list in this Dior Haute Couture creation with a stunning Chopard necklace which complimented her classic good looks. I love that Marion kept her makeup simple which proved how naturally beautiful she is! At number 8 is Cotillard’s fellow best actress nominee and “Most Improved” awardee of the night Jessica Chastain who wore a body-hugging Alexander McQueen gown with that eye-catching Harry Wnston jewels! Jessica is most improved for this is a far cry from her Golden Globe look but in this gown, she sure is a movie star! We have the risk takers at number 7&6 and are certainly belonging to what I refer to as “the a-lists of the a-list”, Nicole Kidman & Julianne Moore. Nicole wore a Vivienne Westwood Couture creation she paired with Manolo Blahnik heels and Fred Leighton jewels, looking statuesque and every bit the movie star that she is! While Nicole is a constant on best dressed lists, Julianne’s relationship with fashion’s always on! Julianne stunned in this fresh off the runway Chanel dress that she accessorized with Van Cleef & Arpels jewels and Charlotte Olympia heels. You know what? She’s 52 and looking radiant as ever!

Female Actor in a TV/miniseries nominee for Hemingway and Gellhorn

Female Actor in a TV movie/miniseries nominee for Game Changed

Both are nominees for the same category but Julianne nabbed the award for her turn as Sarah Palin. Moving on to number 5 is everyone’s favorite “It girl”, Jennifer Lawrence – wearing the color of the night looked gorgeous in a Christian Dior Haute Couture, Chopard jewels and a pair of Jimmy Choos which no one probably saw because of the gown! JLaw was also the night’s big winner as she took home the Female Actor in a Leading Role award beating out Cotillard, Chastain, Helen Mirren and Naomi Watts (whom you will see as you read on). This girl is hardcore talented!

Is this is how post-pneumonia looks like then please, sign me up!

The best way to show support for your nominee husband? Apparently according to Jennifer Garner…be a trophy wife, literally! Jen caught everyone’s eyes in this golden Oscar Dela Renta stunner that she simply accented with David Webb sparklers! Her efforts paid off when hubby Ben Affleck’s Argo won Best Cast in a Motion Picture award! Taking the number 3 spot is the forever elegant, Naomi Watts embraced classic Hollywood glamour in a Marchesa creation with Salvatore Ferragamo clutch and loose curls that were just breathtaking! This lady is a real pro, winning our hearts one killer outfit at a time! Female Actor in a Supporting Role winner for Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway took the number 2 spot in a trendy Giambatista Valli gown which complimented her barely there makeup and classic custom vegan Jimmy Choo peep-toe pumps and of course, that edgy pixie cut completed the look. Anne may have won “the Actor” but her costar bagged my number 1 best dressed during the SAG awards red carpet! Amanda Seyfried looks beautiful in this crisp and chic Zac Posen navy blue creation and kept it simple by adding just the right touch of jewels by Lorraine Schwartz! And let’s not forget those blonde locks! I also love how her look showcased her beauty and style without sacrificing her personality and her age! It’s less than a month before the Oscars so I’m really psyched to see what these ladies will come up next!!! -F all photos are from Google

The Greatest Manhunt

The first woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director comes back with another knockout film 3 years after “The Hurt Locker”. Kathryn Bigelow, made history during the 2009 ceremony when she took home the award for best director beating some prominent directors like Quentin Tarantino, Jason Reitman, Lee Daniels and her ex-husband, James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) now that’s something! Anyway gossip aside, Bigelow is making the rounds again with her highly-acclaimed spy thriller film, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Zero Dark Thirty is about the hunt on America’s number one enemy, the terrorist Osama Bin Laden (oftenly referred to as UBL). The film is from the people behind The Hurt Locker with an original screenplay from Mark Boal. The film centers around a woman CIA agent, Maya (Jessica Chastain) who helmed the whole hunt and was described by most of her colleagues as “a killer” for she has been recruited by the agency out of high school and has worked for them since. Jessica Chastain whom you may know from The Tree of Life & The Help among others has been involved in films with high acclaim and this one proved to be the same, so far Chastain’s track record is as good as it gets. Fortunately, Chastain didn’t disappoint in the film and gave a raw performance as the “motherf****r who found that place” – pertaining to UBL’s hideout. She was feisty, determined, convincing and just plain brilliant also thanks to a genius script which didn’t let her down. For the first time in a long time, a film made my heart stop again for its intensity – The Departed (2006) was probably the last one that did that to me. The very scene that made me skip a beat was the time of the attack, the time when the U.S. Navy SEAls are starting to put on their gears and the time when the countdown begins…whew! Just merely describing the scene takes me back in the moviehouse when everyone’s eagerly anticipating, anticipating and anticipating what will happen next and I even forgot about how really bad I want to pee! Seriously, the film is so good you don’t wanna miss a single scene. Anyway! The other strong point of the film is its’ editing, again it is the kind of editing where no one is allowed to blink an eye if you don’t wanna miss a statement or an action or a revelation – the editing was flawless. From the acting, to the editing and the scriptwriting, each of these won’t be done this way without of course the overall brain that is the director, Kathryn Bigelow. Now if you know me, I am someone who advocates for women and feels strongly regarding the discrimination between the two sexes and whatnots. I know I know I’m starting to sound all geeky now but I know I won’t be alone when I say that the film is honestly this good and one of the best films there is. I can’t tell yet who I think will win best picture this year for I have yet to see the 3 other viable films but I’ll get there…

And I’m glad to inform you that Zero Dark Thirty is up for 5 nominations for this year’s Academy Award ceremony
Best Picture
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain
Best Writing – Original Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Editing

-F