Quartet

What I liked:

• It was Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.
• Uber talented cast:  Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon, Andrew Sachs, and Gwyneth Jones.
• It's an interesting story with heart and humor.

Gangster Squad

What I liked:

• The camera loves Ryan Gosling.
• Gosling and Emma Stone have great chemistry together.
• Sean Penn played a good bad guy.
• Josh Brolin,  Troy Garity, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, and Giovanni Ribisi also star.
• It's entertaining.

The 2013 Golden Globe Awards

• Tina and Amy look stunning!
• Tina and Amy are funny!
• Take that James Cameron!  WOW!
• A James Franco slam?!  WOW!
• These ladies are not holding back!
• Nice, a porn joke!
• Life of Pi, snap!
• A Mandy Patinkin shout out!  Love him as Saul on Homeland.

Live Blogging the Red Carpet for The 2013 Golden Globes

Live Blogging the Red Carpet on E!

• Ryan Seacrest's hair is really big for him
• Debra Messing looks nice but I prefer her in color.
• Clair Danes looks lovely.  That is a great color on her.
• Amy Adams's look is a little boring.
• This black lace thing on Giuliana Rancic is awful and this is coming from someone who loves lace.  The hair doesn't help either.
• Julianne Hough looks nice.  I like the hair...very young and fun.
• A lot of red dresses.
• Alyssa Milano on the red carpet?!  Why?
• Katharine McPhee's outfit could be ok if her hair was different.  The messy bun on top of her head isn't working.
• Zooey Deschanel looks ok but this red dress reminds me of her last blue dress at the Emmy Awards.  Her hair looks better this time, though.
• Tina Fey's hair looks amazing.  It can't be all hers.
• Connie Britton looks stunning in this sparkly sheath strapless dress.  Best dressed so far.

Zero Dark Thirty

What I liked:

• Jessica Chastain is great and carries the movie well.
• Jason Clarke was fantastic.  We need to see more of him.
• It also stars Reda Kateb, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Harold Perrineau, Mark Strong, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Duplass, James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, and Taylor Kinney.
• Kathryn Bigelow does an excellent job directing.
• True or not, it is a fascinating story. 
• Makes you think that there is a lot more truth to Homeland.
• The last 30 minutes are really intense.  

The Impossible

What I liked:

• Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are fantastic.  Very convincing as wounded parents trying to save their family.
•  The boys are not only beautiful but talented: Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast.
• The special effects are amazing.  
• It is beautiful and emotional.  It's a tough topic to try to see the happy ending in it all.
• It is based on a true story.

Oscar Nominations

My initial reaction to the Oscar nominations:

• Acting nominations for The Master but not for Best Picture?  Interesting.
• Love for Argo but not for Ben Affleck.
• Jackie Weaver getting a Supporting Actress nomination for Silver Linings Playbook is a pleasant surprise.
• Seth MacFarlane getting a nomination for Best Song for Ted!
• Not getting a Best Song nomination: Magic Mike, Safety Not Guaranteed, or The Odd Life of Timothy Green. :(
• No love for John Hawkes for The Sessions?!
• No nomination for The Intouchables?!  That is so wrong!
• I don't see the appeal of Flight, Beasts of the Southern Wild or Les Misérables so their nominations are lost on me.
• Happy for Silver Linings Playbook, Argo, Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thirty on their nominations.
• Happy that Searching for Sugar Man was nominated for Best Documentary.

The full list of nominees can be found at  http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Hyde Park on Hudson

What I liked:

• Bill Murray did an excellent job acting as FDR.
• Laura Linney is always a pleasure to watch.
• It also starred Samuel West, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Marvel, and Olivia Williams.

Promised Land

• It was written by John Krasinski and Matt Damon.
• Damon and Krasinski  act well in it.
• It also stars Hal Holbrook, Frances McFormand, Titus Welliver, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
• It's an interesting topic that people should learn more about.