The story, acting, and script in An Education are great. But let’s face it, the style, fashions, and interiors are stunning and make this a visual treat. Below, find a whole ton of stills from the film. They are quite spectacular. And if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s coming out on DVD on March 30th!

I can admit it, I love the Academy Awards! Please… the dresses! the style! the glamor! And of course, watching the creative forces behind the films that moved you, winning awards for their craft is great too!

This year, I’ve seen a large handful of the films up for awards. I don’t go out of my way to see the nominated ones, but it usually works out that I’ve seen many of them anyway. So with that completely informal process (if you can even call it that) in mind, here are my thoughts for this year’s race:

Best Picture

Who do I want to win - An Education
Who do I think will win - The Hurt Locker
I haven’t seen nor do I plan on seeing The Hurt Locker. I am pretty sure I won’t be able to handle the level of violence that is in this film. But from what I’ve heard and read, this film deserves the win. With that said, I can tell you right now that there will be a real trend to this list, as I LOVED An Education and pretty much want it to win everything it’s up for.

Best Actor

Who do I want to win - Jeff Bridges
Who do I think will win - Jeff Bridges
Really, who else should? No one.

Best Supporting Actor

Who do I want to win - Woody Harrelson
Who do I think will win - Christoph Waltz
This is a rare category where I have not seen any of the nominated performances. I plan to see The Last Station and maybe Inglorious Bastards, The Messenger, or Invictus, but we’ll see. For now, I’m making these picks from my gut.

Best Actress

Who do I want to win - Carey Mulligan
Who do I think will win - Sandra Bullock
I think this is the toughest category of the bunch. Any one of the ladies could take it. Or, the votes will split and my girl Carey Mulligan will win!

Best Supporting Actress

Who do I want to win - Mo’Nique
Who do I think will win - Mo’Nique
Seriously. It’s hers in the bag.

Best Animated Film

Who do I want to win - Up
Who do I think will win - Up
This category gets fuller each year, but for me there is a clear winner. I mean really, how many animated films make you cry? I loved loved loved Up, and if you haven’t seen it, go rent it now.

Best Director

Who do I want to win - Kathryn Bigelow
Who do I think will win - Kathryn Bigelow
A woman has never won this category, ever. So pretty much any woman that is nominated in this category is going to get my vote. Though again, this is an amazingly well reviewed film, so I’m sure she deserves it, gender aside.

Best Foreign Film

Who do I want to win - A Prophet
Who do I think will win - The White Ribbon
Okay, so I like anything in French, sue me.

Best Original Song

Who do I want to win - Loin de Paname from Paris 36
Who do I think will win - The Weary King from Crazy Heart
I loved Paris 36, but I know it isn’t best picture material or anything. Still, it’s nice to see it acknowledged at the Oscars. The Weary Kind is completely deserving.

Best Documentary

Who do I want to win - Food Inc.
Who do I think will win - not sure….
This category is hard to judge unless you’ve see them all, which I haven’t. I don’t know enough about all of them to guess, but I’d be thrilled to see Food Inc. win.

So there it is… my picks and wishes! Like many of you, I’ll be watching with my party dress and tiara on. Just kidding! Maybe…

A gorgeous new film by Yang Fudong for Prada’s Spring 2010 collection.

It’s an art really… to pull of sass, intelligence, class, elegance, and charm all at once. Few ladies can do it right. Here’s a couple of my favorites…

In this clip of note- one of the dancers (whom she leans on at 2:07) is George Chakiris, who plays Bernardo, that you see 7 years later in the next sassy lady clip, from the 1961 film version of West Side Story. He’s also one of the ballet dancers that carries Marylin Monroe in Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, and is a back up dancer in the fantastic Les demoiselles de Rochefort, starring Catherine Deneuve.

Please, how can you beat Rita Moreno’s portrayal of Anita? You can’t. She’s the bomb.

OH HOW I’LL BELIEVE IN THOSE PEANUTS!!!

Kim Novak is so great in this underrated film, which has always been on heavy rotation in my house.

(I’m on vacation for the month of September. Enjoy these “25 things I love” posts I prepared for the 25 days I’m gone. See you in October!)

Hands down one of the best films ever made. Ever. If you haven’t seen it, stop now, go rent it, and report back.

(I’m on vacation for the month of September. Enjoy these “25 things I love” posts I prepared for the 25 days I’m gone. See you in October!)

I was totally a kid of the 80’s. I graduated high school in 1989, which makes all my impressionable years during the era of shoulder pads, big hair, and Dynasty. But the thing I longed for in life at that time was to venture off to the big city (I think I thought Chicago at the time most seriously, but really, any city probably would have been fine) and live an eclectic life with artists, fashion, and kooky adventures.

Upon the death of Brat Pack maker John Hughes, I talked with my friends about how influential some of his roles were on me, like Molly Ringwald’s character in Pretty in Pink for example. But it also got me thinking about what other things I was watching at the time. I loved Slaves of New York, Valley Girl, Desperately Seeking Susan, and other films that centered around a wacky female lead and their misadventures in a big city. And now, I sorta am one of those gals. Be careful what you wish for!

Desperately Seeking Susan

Pretty in Pink

Slaves of New York

Valley Girl

Who better than Tim Burton to take on Alice in Wonderland?

In her last film, 2 Days in Paris, Julie Delpy jumped ahead of every other actress in her field, as she not only starred in it, but she wrote it and directed it, making her quite a beautiful triple threat. This film is quirky, hilarious, and perfectly neurotic, in a gorgeous Woody Allen type of way. If you love that style of intellectual banter, you should give this film a try.

And, let’s not forget that it co-stars some other brilliant actors, namely Adam Goldberg as her spot-on neurotic New Yorker boyfriend, and Delpy’s real-life parents playing the same role on screen. They alone are worth the rental.

I am not sure if I will make it up to Cherbourg during my upcoming trip to France, but that isn’t going to stop me from watching one of my all-time favorite films in my trip preparation: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

If you’ve never seen this film, stop reading the blog and just go rent it immediately. Seriously, it’s one of the best films ever made. Almost painfully vivid in its set hues, the colors jump right off the screen. And, let’s not forget the absolutely gorgeous and fresh-faced Catherine Deneuve. She is simply stunning in this film as a young girl in love.

I don’t want this to sway non-musical lovers, but this film is essentially an opera. Every word is sung. Every word. However, after the first 15 minutes or so, you almost forget that they are singing. You’re deep in the emotion of these fools in love and the fact that it’s all sung actually goes by the wayside.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg tells the story of a young couple in love, and what happens to them as the man in the relationship is sent off to war. Will their love prevail? Haunting, lush, beautiful, and heart-wrenching, this film is an absolute classic and isn’t to be missed.

This fall, I have the trip of a lifetime scheduled, as I’m spending most of September in Paris. I cannot hardly believe it myself. I’ve wanted to go my whole life, and now I finally am.

With the trip in mind, it seems that everything in my life right now is Parisian and/or French themed: films, music, books, magazines, blogs, food, and of course, the French language itself. I’m slowly teaching myself how to get by on the basics, which for me include phrases like “how much does this cost?” and all the numbers I can store in my head. Knowing that I’ll be doing some shopping, these will come in handy!

I’ve along been a lover of the French cinema, and the French New Wave specifically and am taking some time this summer to revisit some of my favorite French films, both old and new. One absolute classic is the Godard film, Une Femme est une Femme (A Woman is a Woman). It’s one of my favorite French films and so worth a watch, if you’ve never seen it before, or if it’s been a while since you’ve visited this classic.

It stars Godard regulars Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo, along with Jean-Claude Brialy. Anna Karina is always gorgeous and mesmerizing to watch on screen, and this film is no exception.