Things that mattered in 2014

Fashion
This year Elie Saab's Spring/Summer collection blew me away but also the gorgeosity of Ralph & Russo's Spring Couture, designers i didn't know about:

But most recently, the one that amazed everyone with its beauty is Valentino's Sala Bianca Haute Couture, all in white and so delicate and immaculate that i'm even posting the finale of its NY show because, look for yourself, it's beauty in movement:

Movies

I have to admit that i haven't watched many movies this year and i had to catch up with some of 2013 because they hadnt been released here. So, i'm including a few from last year that are really worth it but my number 1 of the year has to be 'Under the Skin':

Under the Skin - this blew my mind in so many ways that i still have it on my head. That epic ending, the photography, the Mica Levi OST that creeps the hell out of you, Scarlett Johansson's touching performance, the devastating truth of what the movie wants to tell the viewer is something not everyone fully appreciates. Truly one of the weirdest movies out there and that makes her even more special and unique.

Her - What can be said about Spike Jonze's modern love story at this point? It really touches you in ways you can't comprehend and also you can relate to the loneliness of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) so much that it kinda hurts.

Short Term 12 (Las vidas de Grace) - Another film that was released on 2013 but i have to include it here. I already talked about it but i couldn't recommend this movie more because it's so touching and beautiful that will steal your heart. And you have a good cry with it as well which is not bad at all.

Nymphomaniac - As a full movie with both of its parts, it really works out. Because if you only watch the first part and then the second, this last one is a little weak. So it's better to watch the complete movie because Lars Von Trier's latest and most polemic movie is something that explores sexuality as well as human nature and the result is kinda great. It has a weak ending but overall i really liked it.

Palo Alto - Gia Coppola's directing debut is worth mentioning because without being a great story, it really depicts today's youth – its boredom, failed aspirations and the not so certain future they have in front of themselves. That's perhaps the greatest thing about the movie, it really captures that time as it is and she also does it with a lot of taste and pretty images. Beware of what's to come from the newest Coppola director.

Boyhood - i was really looking forward to watch it and i have to admit that i really liked it. It shows you how we're only a series of milestones and that we, more or less, we all go through the same process when growing up, as simple as that. I really loved Patricia Arquette's performance and the OST is really amazing but now i can't wait for Richard Linklater to make a 'Girlhood'. Please, it has to be done.


TV Shows

This year i discovered two shows that are already among my favorites like the hilarious 'Broad City' (please watch it because it's really something else) and 'Looking' which is so full of feelings that i barely can't stand it.

Apart from those, 'Game of Thrones' continued to be fucking amazing starting with that epic second episode 'The Lion and the Rose' and its OMFG ending. 'Girls' continued to be something that really gets me to the core and that is very dear to me (with the 'Beach House' ep being the epitome of epic) ;  'Grey's Anatomy' had a really good start after the departure of Cristina Yang's character so i still have faith in the show. 'American Horror Story: Coven' was fucking flawless despite the haters and 'Freak Show' started really bad but it's gotten better and it's fun to watch. And 'Pretty Little Liars' continued to be the guiltiest pleasure ever, which is good.

On the other hand, the much awaited season of 'Orange of the New Black' was a little bit OK, not bad, but not as flawless as the first season but i'm still gonna watch it like crazy when a new season comes out. 'True Detective' was worth watching but somehow i didn't love it as much as everyone else. 'True Blood''s season finale turned to be surprisingly good despite the ending and other shows ending next year are the feel good series 'Hart of Dixie', 'Awkward', which is not as great as it used to be, and the always funny 'Cougar Town' which i will really miss. 'New Girl' though was kinda OK, nothing really surprising. And i finally quit '2 Broke Girls' because it turned to be really boring and it has basically no plot so why bother.


Musique

1. Blood Orange - Champagne Coast

2. CrazyP - Heartbreaker

3. Beck - Blue Moon

4. FKA Twigs - Two Weeks

5. Freeform Five feat. Roisin Murphy - Leviathan

6. Wild Beast - Wanderlust

7. Madonna - Living for Love

8. Kevin Drew - Good Sex

9. Miguel - Simple Things

10. Caribou - Our Love

Blog
Most popular entries of the year:

1. 10 years of 'Mean Girls'
2. Romaticization of Mental Illness by Kelsey Weaver
3. Tavi Gevinson photographed in her bedroom by Petra Collins
4. Re-watching 'The OC' 10 years later
5. #RKOBH (Rich Kids of Beverly Hills)

Things that mattered in 2011 | 2012 | 2013

sources: fashionmazia, wwd, impawards, collider, mytakeontv, & youtube

86th Annual Academy Awards 2014

In case you didn't know, the Academy Awards were last night and while i was tempted to watch them since i've seen many of the nominated movies this year, i went to sleep and did my catching up in the morning. Usually, i'm making a post about the red carpet and its best looks only, but is it me or this year the red carpet fashion has been really boring? So i feel like discussing the whole thing, who won, who lost, who was best dressed and who should have been nominated, let's begin!

This had to be one of the most predictable Academy Awards. '12 Years a Slave' won the Best Movie Award, Cuarón won Best Director for 'Gravity', McConaughey Best Actor for 'Dallas Buyers Club', just like Jared Leto as Best Supporting Actor and 'Her' got the super deserved award for Best Original Screenplay. Those were all a given. I was happy for 'Her' and for both DBC actors, i watched the movie yesterday and both did great. Still, it is painful for Leonardo DiCaprio, sure his role on 'The Wolf of Wall Street' wasn't his best one but give an Oscar to this man already, we all know he deserves it.

Anyway, i was afraid that Cate Blanchett wouldn't win the Oscar for Best Actress in 'Blue Jasmine' because of the Woody Allen controversy. She really owned the movie and did an excellent, flawless performance, so nothing should have come in the way of that. So i'm really happy for that as well, just like for Lupita Nyong'o win for '12 Years a Slave' instead of Jennifer Lawrence. Don't get me wrong, JenLaw did a really great and hilarious performance in 'American Hustle' (the only good thing about the movie tbh), but there's no way she would win another Oscar. She deserved it for 'Winter's Bone' but not for 'Silver Linings Playbook', and sure Lupita was way better than her in the Steve McQueen movie.

And none for 'American Hustle', lol.

Still, i'm mad that 'La Vie d'Adèle' ('Blue is the Warmest Colour') wasn't nominated for Best Foreign Movie – though i'm happy that 'La Grande Bellezza' ('The Great Beauty') won instead of 'The Hunt', but still, i liked the French movie better than the others nominated. And 'Short Term 12' should had at least been nominated for Screenplay or even recognised some of the magnificent performances of the movie. Forever underrated. And also, we all know that Joaquin Phoenix should had been nominated for his emotional performance in 'Her', as well as Spike Jonze as a director or even Amy Adams (who was better in this movie than in 'American Hustle'). And let's be honest, Scarlett Johansson's voice in the film deserved a nomination, she was better with her voice than some other performances that were nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category.

And finally, the ladies! If there's someone who owned the red carpet this year, that was Lupita in a flawless Prada dress. She really stole the show and looked absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing:

My second favourite was Kate Hudson in this stunning Atelier Versace gown that looked amazing on her. This was nearly my favourite dress of the night and she looked flawless:

Karen O was also fantastic in this elegant Camilla Staerk looking really classy and pretty:

 Emma Watson looked really classy in this Vera Wang dress, always looking on point but her look at the Golden Globes remains one of my favourites:

Cate Blanchett also looked like a winner wearing Armani Privé, she looked nice but didn't wow though the dress was really pretty:

And Naomi Watts (a personal favourite) looked fresh and beautiful in Calvin Klein, i would have posted a red carpet photo but it looks way better in this really great Vanity Fair portrait so i'm posting this one and a few others that i loved:

sources: TFS, vogue, twitter & vanityfair

'Her' (2013)

I had really high expectations with Spike Jonze's latest movie 'Her', a modern love story between Joaquin Phoenix and his operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, and it didn't fucking disappoint.

The movie is set on a futuristic time where everyone is connected but still pretty much disconnected from one another, you see Phoenix's character Theodore completely alone, going to work and back home with nearly no human interaction at all, only bumping into his neighbour and friend Amy (Amy Adams) occasionally on the elevator. And it is a sad story, only when he purchases his operating system Samantha, it's when we see him communicating with someone, smiling, enjoying life. This is a story of a lonely person, someone who has previously find comfort in being alone, who wants to feel something but is pretty much numb ever since his separation from his wife. He'd rather stay still and frozen all emotion than to move along and grant her the divorce. It's a story of someone who wants to be loved and share his life with another person and eventually, he finds that with Samantha. And even though the idea of someone falling in love with his operating system sounds unreal, the tenderness of Joaquin Phoenix's face and the emotion and passion behind the voice of Scarlett Johansson as Samantha really makes it. You just love to see how he opens to her, how he discovers the world to her and the excitement that that brings to both of them. And you, as a viewer, invest your heart on them.
(Spoilers)
Somehow, you know in advance that the movie is going to break your heart, for me, that scene of the IOS failing and Theodore being unable to contact Samantha, rushing to his apartment, leaving all behind, running desperate with the idea of not hearing from her again, of her disappearing as a system error, was never-wracking, truly heartbreaking.  I didn't understand though, when all operating systems leave. It was a beautiful ending with some really touching words from Samantha, how he discovered what was love to her and all her kind words to him, but still, a little confusing and all of a sudden. I guess the idea was that the more they interacted with other people, the more they grew as entities, the more they became an independent whole. Still, the epic final scene with Theodore and Amy on the rooftop is something quite precious.

I really loved this movie, it left me quite devastated after watching it, i didn't cry, but i was really touched about the idea of us in the present time, communicating with everyone and being in contact with anyone but still being all by ourselves in front of a computer. So many feelings but such a beautiful love story.

Below you can listen to the super sweet and cute version that Scarlett Johansson and Joaquin Phoenix do of Karen O's 'The Moon Song'. Everything about this movie is simply gorgeous.

sources: impaawards & youtube