Best Costume Design 2009 Picspam
Since I'm always rambling about Oscars and awards, I thought I'd do a little picspam tribute to my favorite non-Big 8 category. Costume Design.
Runner-Up: (500) Days of Summer
It's true that this category is extremely biased towards period films and for good reason-- costumes from past eras tend to be rather showy and easily noticed. But while the costumes in this movie aren't particularly flashy (and are probably just from Urban Outfitters), they were perfectly blended with the personalities of the characters. Notice Tom's wardrobe pretty much consists of ties and sweater vests, which supports the fact that he is a traditional and straight-forward kind of guy. Summer's wardrobe is a reflection of her free-spirited nature with colorful and free-flowing dresses.
5. An Education
The era is early 1960s, England. Again, the costumes are used perfectly to support the journey and changes of the main character, Jenny. She starts off as the perfect school girl wearing simple and practical clothes but undergoes a physical makeover when she is increasingly drawn into the glitzy life of her older boyfriend. Plus, Rosamund Pike's outfits are just fabulous.
4. Coco Avant Chanel
Of course, a movie about Coco Chanel is undoubtedly going feature some terrific costume design. The film's early 20th century setting automatically gives us some very showy costumes a la My Fair Lady but the really great moment comes when Audrey Tatou finally dons the famous Chanel pearls and black dress.
3. The Young Victoria
To be honest, if you've ever looked inside a history book of this era, the clothes are NOT appealing. Like at all. The hairdos are even less flattering. Yet somehow these costumes on the beautiful Emily Blunt manage to look rather lovely. And she does play a queen, like Marie Antoinette, provides for many extravagant outfits. The Prince Albert costumes are also very nicely done and give the character some gravitas.
2. Bright Star
Fanny Brawne's love is fashion so it's no surprise her outfits can be a little out there. But the character's vivacious personality shines through her clothing, especially those crazy collars. Keats, on the other hand, is always wearing the same tattered old clothes, perfectly fitting for the poor and struggling poet.
1. Inglourious Basterds
I'll admit, I'm probably way too biased for this movie but the costume design here is just plain genius. Shosanna's red dress at the Nation's Pride premiere, I believe, is on its way to icon status. It's simple, elegant and pretty much as badass as the character. Bridget's dress is the epitome of the 1940s movie star-- flashy with plenty of diamonds. The Nation's Pride premiere sequence is a total feast. Every costume from the simple dairy farmer clothes in Chapter 1 to the soldier's uniforms to Francesca Mondino's insane animal print hats is just perfect.
NO HOTLINKING PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
2009 In Retrospect Picspams:
My Favorite Films of 2009 HERE
Trailers of Anticipated Movies HERE
Decade Picspams:
Guilty Pleasures HERE
Best of the Franchise HERE
Top 15 Films of the Decade HERE
Other Previous Picspams:
Tom and Summer, (500) Days of Summer HERE
Spock and Uhura, Star Trek HERE
Victoria and Albert, The Young Victoria HERE
Carl and Ellie, Up HERE
Memorable Dress in Film HERE
The Cast of Rob Marshall's 'Nine' HERE
Grey's Anatomy: Derek-Meredith-Addison Triangle HERE
Inglourious Basterds: The Dresses of Operation Kino HERE
Inglourious Basterds: Christoph Waltz as Col. Landa HERE
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Fashion HERE
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg HERE
My Personal Oscar Ballot (as of November 2009) HERE
Cruel Intentions vs. Dangerous Liaisons Comparison HERE
The 2007 Oscars in FYC Ads HERE
Cast My Life HERE
Romance in Period Films HERE
Glee vs. Popular Comparison HERE