SHOWREEL

Exciting news!

Signed with MLASA.

Cut a showreel.

Ella Gabriel - Extended Showreel 2014. from Ella Gabriel on Vimeo.

Ella's Oscar Picks and Predicks.

Hah. I had way too much fun with such a silly title.

So, for as far back as I can remember, my little family and I have watched the Academy awards every year in its entirety, routing for certain artists, predicting wins, and saying "I knew it" after every single award is announced, even when we got it wrong. And because of that, I cannot ignore them. I don't care if they're a little bit rigged: it's the only race I ever watch (in fact, it's the only television I ever watch), so I take it quite seriously. In a fun way.

So, without further ado...

MY PREDICTIONS (who will win):

BEST PICTURE: 'ARGO' (Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov)

BEST ACTOR: DANIEL DAY-LEWIS (Lincoln)

BEST ACTRESS: JESSICA CHASTAIN (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: CHRISTOPH WALTZ (Django Unchained)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ANNE HATHAWAY (Les Mis)

BEST DIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG (Lincoln)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER: CLAUDIO MIRANDA (Life of Pie)

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER: JACQUELINE DURRAN (Anna Karenina)

 BEST EDITING: WILLIAM GOLDENBURG (Argo)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: AMOUR (Austria)

BEST HAIR AND MAKE UP: LES MISERABLES

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (Argo)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: SKYFALL (Adele)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: LIFE OF PI

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ARGO (Chris Terrio)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: ZERO DARK THIRTY (Mark Boal)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: LES MISERABLES

I can't give my picks and predictions to categories in which I haven't seen all of the nominated films (e.g. short films, documentaries, foreign language film).

...and, MY PICKS (who I want to win):

BEST PICTURE: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Consider that one of the criteria for 'best picture' is the level of magic in the film.

BEST ACTOR: JOAQUIN PHOENIX (The Master)

This character didn't exist before. Now it does, curtesy of Joaquin. You could say the same for Bradley Cooper's 'Pat' in Silver Linings but, unfortunately, Joaquin Phoenix blows everyone else out the water.

BEST ACTRESS: MARION COTILLARD (Rust and Bone)

Hands down brilliance and not even nominated!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN (The Master)

Because he made it happen for himself.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ANNE HATHAWAY (Les Mis)

I genuinely didn't want to like Les Mis or its performances, but Anne Hathaway gave me no choice.

Try to dispute me after watching her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream. I'm not even going to bother.

BEST DIRECTOR: DAVID O RUSSEL (Silver Linings Playbook)

Because he saw the good actor in Bradley Cooper and showed it to the world.

And because he seems to extract great performances from actors I'd otherwise have overlooked.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER: ROGER DEAKINS (Skyfall)

Mainly because of his work in Bardem's opening scene.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN

I could be completely wrong but I think a lot of Charlize's costumes were made out of brilliantly recreated animal parts?

BEST EDITING: ZERO DARK THIRTY

(Co-edited by William Goldenberg from Argo!)

Particularly in the last 30 minutes of the film. Gripping.

BEST HAIR AND MAKE UP: LES MISERABLES

I so want Hitchcock to win something but the aging and the character in Les Mis was just too good.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: THOMAS NEWMAN (Skyfall)

Maybe I'm just a sucker for the 007 theme.

Also, his IMDB profile is so much more impressive than his google images.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: SKYFALL (Adele)

It isn't over 'til Adele sings. Then it's over.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: THE HOBBIT

I think creating that world must've been a lot of fun and hard work.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: LIFE OF PI

The CGI in this film made me think it deserved best cinematography. Tricky and brilliant.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

(Matthew Quick - David O Russell)

Because I don't often want to read the book once I've seen the film and I'm sure that counts for something.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino)

Because although it may just be an American remake of Inglorious Basterds, I love the satisfaction that Tarantino writes into his hilarious, clever revenge stories. And his rhythm is just perfect. Even without Sally Menke (bless).

And that's it. Until next year. And then one day I'll be at the ceremony.

Promise.

Fleur du Cap Nominee List 2013

Wow. Here is the list of nominees for the annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. I think there are a great number of very strong actors, students, directors and productions this year and I am so far beyond excited to be a part of such a talented group.

Best Performance by an actor
Bongile Mantsai for Mies Julie as John
Elton Landrew for Boesman & Lena as Boesman
Gideon Lombard for The View as Young Man
Jeremy Crutchley for Sacred Elephant as Everyman.

Best Performance by an actress
Anthea Thompson for Kingdom of Earth as Myrtle
Bo Petersen for Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act as Frieda Joubert
Hilda Cronjé for Mies Julieas Julie
Quanita Adams for Boesman & Lena as Lena.

Best Supporting Actor
Adam Neill for Champ as Waldo
David Dennis for A Midsummer Night's Dream as Nick Bottom/Pyramus
Gideon Lombard for Special Thanks to Guests from Afar as Markus Weitig
Mbulelo Grootboom for Just Business as Mabuso.

Best Supporting Actress
Ella Gabriel for The View as Various Characters
Emily Child for King Lear (This Time it Hurts) as Regan
Jennie Reznek for Autopsy as Madam Shu and Others
Thoko Ntshinga for Mies Julie as Christine 

Best Performance by an actor in music theatre and/or a musical
Danny Butler for Kat and the Kings as Kat Diamond
Dean Balie for Kat and the Kings as Young Kat Diamond
Jonathan Roxmouth for Topsy Turvy as Various Characters
Sasha Halhuber for Cabaret as Emcee

Best Performance by an actress in music theatre and/or a musical
Aviva Pelham for Santa's Story as Various Characters
Kate Normington for Menopause the Musical as Soap Star
Samantha Peo for Cabaret as Sally Bowles
Sivan Raphaely for From the Mouths of Babes as Herself.

Best Performance by a supporting actor in music theatre and/or a musical
Carlo Daniels forKat and the Kings as Ballie
Grant Peres for Kat and the Kings as Bingo
Peter Court for Cabaret as Herr Schultz
Zakariyah Toerien for Kat and the Kings as Magoo

Best Performance by a supporting actress in music theatre and/or a musical
Amy Trout forKat and the Kings as Lucy Dixon
Charon Williams-Ros for Cabaret as Fräulein Schneider
Kate Normington for Cabaret as Fräulein Kost
Londiwe Dhlomo for Cabaret as Texas.

Best Performance in a cabaret/revue/one person show
Daneel van der Walt for Big Girl as Big Girl
James Cuningham for Sunday Morning as Mat
Jeremy Crutchley for Sacred Elephant as Everyman
Lynita Crofford for An Audience with Miss Hobhouse as Emily Hobhouse and Others.

Most Promising Student Award
Ella Gabriel (UCT)
Roelof Storm (UCT)
Chrisma Van Zyl (University Stellenbosch)
Stefan Erasmus (UCT). 

Best Director
James Ngcobo for Boesman & Lena
Mandla Mbothwe for Did We Dance: The Sinking of the SS Mendi
Matthew Wild for The Comedy of Errors
Yael Farber for Mies Julie.

Best Lighting Design
Faheem Bardien for A Midsummer Night's Dream
Kobus Rossouw for The Comedy of Errors
Patrick Curtis for Did We Dance: The Sinking of the SS Mendi
Paul Abrams for Mies Julie. 

Best Set Design
Fred Abrahamse for Kingdom of Earth
Leopold Senekal for Did We Dance: The Sinking of the SS Mendi
Patrick Curtis for Doodsnikke
Patrick Curtis for Mies Julie.

Best Costume Design
Angela Nemov for The Comedy of Errors
Illka Louw for Sacred Elephant
Marcel Meyer for Kingdom of Earth
Neil Stuart-Harris for Cabaret.

Best Original Score and/or Sound Design
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder (original score) for Kingdom of Earth
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for A Midsummer Night's Dream
Daniel Pencer and Matthew Pencer (original music) for Mies Julie
David Kramer and Taliep Petersen (original score) for Kat and the Kings.

Best New SA Script
Bench by Brent Palmer
Champ by Louis Viljoen
Mies Julie by Yael Farber
Sunday Morning by Nick Warren

Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for new directors - Greg Karvallas for Champ; Kim Kerfoot forStatements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act; Michael Kirch for Bench; Philip Rademeyer forThe View

And, you can now vote for the People's Choice Award by texting 'FDC' to 33783. Click on the link and select your favourite play of 2012. R1.50 for the text.

I do hope that soon the theatre making students will be recognized for their work by the Fleur du Cap awards, too.

I feel a little like this today:

Thank you, FDC.

The Hagenator.

There is a time in the life of every young artist when he falls under the spell of a mature artist whom he idolizes and will emulate, consciously or subconsciously, almost by reflex. It is probably the way great art is passed on from one generation to the next. We must hope that we are influenced by the best.

Uta Hagen. A Challenge for the Actor.

Carey Mulligan - Shame.

Movie Obsession: SHAME

Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan

Directed by Steve McQueen

Written by Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan

Steve McQueen: "You're like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire - It's amazing but you can be better!"

Streetcar

65 years ago, A Streetcar Named Desire took Broadway by storm with a two-year run starring Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden.

Since then, Cate Blanchette, Jessica Lange, Alec Baldwin and many other actors have interpreted Tennessee Williams' infamously heart-wrenching text. 

 

Next week, UCT's 3rd and 4th year students give it a shot under Luke Ellenbogen's direction. If you're in Cape Town, do support.

American History X. Edward Norton.

I was doing a bit of research on Rodney King for a little monologue I think I might want to do. I came across this and watched in awe. Need to see this film again.

Meryl Streep: 52 Nominations and Counting.

Meryl Streep has been nominated as best actress for:

16 Academy Awards (Oscars),

11 Bafta Awards,

25 Golden Globe Awards,

and loads more.

Holy smokes, lady.

What Movie Made You Cry?

Another Lynn Hirschberg number.

Featuring Annette Bening, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Michael Douglas, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo, Helena Bonham Carter, Justin Timberlake, Dakota Fanning, Andrew Garfield, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Melissa Leo, Vincent Cassel, Julianne Moore, Robert Duvall, Jesse Eisenberg, Elle Fanning and Colin Firth.


Well this nearly made me cry.


Feast your eyes (and ears):

Dakota Fanning talks about learning to go to high school.

This is awesome. I love Lynn Hirschberg's sessions with actors. They're so real, the black&white is beautiful and there's no obtrusive 'WELCOME TO THE LYNN HIRSCHBERG SHOW' jingle before each interview. I'll post a few more in the days to come, but for now here's one of my favourites:

And here's a more recent one about college and how she feels about introducing herself to people who already know who she is:

Death of the Actor.

Today, the fb status of the day is my own one because it's just that damn epic:

"We presume that if the actor is not at class or rehearsal, it is dead - Sandra Temmingh".

Yep. That is what was said today. And that is also why I haven't been blogging nearly as much as I was before class (and rehearsals) started...!

I will try to do some this weekend. I have lots to chat about.

Cheerio.

x

127 Hours.

I watched this film last night and I loved it. It's like a new and improved "Into the Wild". It was great.

Boom. More on this later. (It's nearly my birthday)

Bye.

x

Black Swan.

I have been hesitant to write this post. Not so much hesitant as I've been overwhelmed at the idea. But I feel inspired to write and I feel inspired by her and I feel strongly about this film. So, I'm going to do it. For all that feeling in me.

I'll start with the ending. As the credits ominously, slowly flashed their way on and off the bright white screen with the music all gone but for the cruel clapping applause from what felt like the audience I was sitting in, I felt the most overwhelming sense of defeat.... submergence... speechlessness... that has ever flooded my soul. And it was purely induced by the brilliance of the art that is my passion. Film.

I can't possibly do her justice - Natalie Portman - or even him - Vincent Cassel - or the director  - Darren Aronoffsky (who I suspected had directed 'Requiem for a Dream' and later found out had, indeed, done so). I was even mighty impressed by and even relieved at the transformation and hatching that came from  Mila Kunis (who also played the kid in Gia). When asked about the notorious film, Black Swan, I will always try to describe my utmost respect for and disbelief at the performance that Natalie Portman gives. Having rigorously trained for up to a year to be a convincing prima ballerina and having managed to keep up being a phenomenal, well-tuned,  "perfect" (there's a wonderful play on different conceptions of perfection in art in the film) actress, she pulls off a role that I think could easily have been played boring, rigid, anal and, as the plot unfolds, over-sexual. But not for Natalie. No. Natalie became something I've never seen before. In any actor. Sorry, Angelina.

So far, the only negativity I've heard with regards to this masterpiece of a film has been from ballerinas and their teachers, claiming that it "mis-portrays the world of Ballet and ballet companies", it is "clearly" made by someone who "hasn't researched the life of ballerinas enough", and that it is a gross "stereotype" based on the drugs, sex, and psychology of "American dance companies".

Well, firstly, it is a story set in America, it is a story about a ballerina who experiences situations of drugs, sex and psychopathic, lunatic craziness, AND our ballerina is a member of a dance company. Boom.

Secondly, I doubt the aforementioned critic-ballerinas have researched into the world of film-making, story-telling and interpretation for film. Perhaps the director's intention was to comment on the 'stereotype' of American dance companies and that the negative lumpy bits therein are the exact parts he had hoped to highlight (perhaps even directly aimed at these critic-ballerinas). I don't know Darren and I don't know ballet. But I do believe that this film is something horrific and terrific and fantastic and just plain brilliant and that it deserves the credit that I feel it has earned itself.

Hey, that's just me. NOT. I've seen a good 20 facebook status's about this film - all positive. And I haven't even reached the thousand-friends mark yet.

Over-and-out.

Nic Danger and the Rise of the Space Ninjas... and his moustache.

My friends at the Pink Couch and another friend, Nic, are putting on a show at the Arena Theatre from tonight till the 19th of Feb.

It's brilliant.

Nic graduated from UCT at the end of last year with this piece as his final theatre-making project and it was extremely well-received on the evening I watched it. I'd say that if some awesome punk were to put together a play doing whatever he wanted - hilarious kick-ass songs written by himself, action man games, Americomedy (South Park) humour and a story line that totally blows his own horn - this would be the epitome of that awesomeness. So I'd say watch it, for sure, because you'll leave the theatre with tears in your eyes from laughing so hard. Booya.

Actor: James MacGregor.

If you wanna be cool, kiss my ass for event details.

Cheers x

14 Actors Acting.

So, this is not quite a facebook status of the day, but rather a post of the day. Gabi Pinto, a friend from varsity posted this link on someone else's wall and it caught my eye. I watched them several times over. Love the style - the music, the black and white, the detail, the stories, the actors, all of it. My favourites: Javier Bardem, Vincent Cassel, James Franco and Matt Damon.

Enjoy xxx

Something Pink and Something Blue.

Aaaaand, something slightly lighter:

Come what may...

In.

I fucking got in. I can't contain myself. I've been jumping around and screaming like a crazy person, which, anyone who knows me would say is very unusual. I'm just not like that. So... I'm pretty damn excited! I just wanna kiss someone!


The agent I saw was a woman named Janet and she was really much sweeter and friendlier than I had imagined her to be but was also super straight with me about things one normally wouldn't want to have been straight to about. Make sense? Like, she told me my big front teeth don't need to be seen so I need to practice smiling in a way that connects the essence of my smile to the viewer of the photograph or footage but without showing my front teeth OR looking like a spaz who's trying to hide her front teeth.


I also had to do some impromptu accent work for her. That was intimidating. Wow.


And then I did my trusty Juno monologue and got a couple laughs but she said the beginning was too fast - a crit I ALWAYS get. It's really a problem for me. Perhaps it's the nerves. Probably. I'll trump that shit. Eventually.


The whole process made me wonder what all the big guys went through at their first meeting with an agent. I wish I could watch the footage... But for now. Some pics of Bonnie Timmermann's actors in their early days:

and a couple more...

(hahah! Look at the similarity between Sandra Bullock and George Clooney!)

...and, last but not least:

... my favourite: Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Uma Thurman.

Over and out xxx