Sunday, December 30, 2007

1967: The Year of the Victim

I love love love love love StinkyLulu and his monthly Supporting Actress Smackdown. When he asked for participants to the '67 extravaganza I jumped at the chance. It's an overlooked category, and my obsession with the Oscars reaches no limits, so writing about the women that are deemed 'secondary' is a true joy.

The Supporting Actress category isn't always my favourite when it comes to Oscar. Their recent winnners (Renee Zelwegger, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Hudson) haven't exactly been the greatest. But give them their due, the supporting women of 1967 are interesting characters -- if not always backed up by solid performances. Let's be honest, you do the best with what you have, but some characters are used merely to hammer home a point, and thus written shallowly. Estelle Parsons is blessed with a memorable and showy character, and crucially a victimised character. Katharine Ross is given a similarly baity role as the plain Jane who's wronged for simply being overlooked. Yet she's considerably more powerful than Parsons' loud-mouthed housewife. Beah Richards gives a lovely performance, but it's coated in the prejudice and importance of social history that Oscar desperately needs to reward. Natwick, and particularly Channing, are 'victimised' less, but are often used as figures of ridicule in their respective films. My C+ for Barefoot In the Park may appear harsh -- and it's an incredibly entertaining film -- but I feel it doesn't understand its main character (played by Jane Fonda) and in the end exhausts her. Millie is better because despite its dated, sexist ways it at least understands its own tone, and never feels overlong given its theatrical 140-minute showcase.

I would undoubtedly award the win to Katharine Ross, whose performance reminds me of Mariel Hemingway, Betsy Blair etc. They're all performances that feel natural and powerful in their honesty and cuteness. Channing is a close second because she doesn't have as much pressure in terms of characterisation, and Richards doesn't have that much to do. But overall I love this year. I really mean that ;-)

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hottest Track: Electrovamp - I Don't Like the Vibe in the V.I.P.

Detroit Critics {Awards}

1. BEST FILM
-- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- INTO THE WILD
-- JUNO
-- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2. BEST DIRECTOR
-- PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- TIM BURTON - SWEENEY TODD
-- JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- SEAN PENN - INTO THE WILD
-- JASON REITMAN - JUNO
-- JULIAN SCHNABEL - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY

3. BEST ACTOR
-- MATHIEU AMALRIC - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- GEORGE CLOONEY - MICHAEL CLAYTON*
-- DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- EMILE HIRSCH - INTO THE WILD
-- TOMMY LEE JONES - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

4. BEST ACTRESS
-- AMY ADAMS - ENCHANTED
-- JULIE CHRISTIE - AWAY FROM HER
-- MARION COTILLARD - LA VIE EN ROSE
-- LAURA LINNEY - THE SAVAGES
-- ELLEN PAGE - JUNO*

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
-- CASEY AFFLECK - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES
-- JAVIER BARDEM - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- PAUL DANO - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- HAL HOLBROOK - INTO THE WILD
-- TOM WILKINSON - MICHAEL CLAYTON

6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-- CATE BLANCHETT - I'M NOT THERE
-- CATHERINE KEENER - INTO THE WILD
-- EMILY MORTIMER - LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- AMY RYAN - GONE, BABY GONE
-- TILDA SWINTON - MICHAEL CLAYTON*

7. BEST ENSEMBLE
-- BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
--
JUNO*
-- LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- WAITRESS
-- ZODIAC

8. BEST NEWCOMER
-- NIKKI BLONSKY - ACTOR, HAIRSPRAY
-- MICHAEL CERA - ACTOR, JUNO & SUPERBAD
-- DIABLO CODY - SCREENWRITER, JUNO*
-- SARAH POLLEY- DIRECTOR, AWAY FROM HER
-- ADRIENNE SHELLEY- DIRECTOR, WRITER, ACTOR, WAITRESS

Saturday, December 22, 2007

St. Louis Critics {Winners}

Ellen Page wins again. Can she make history and become the youngest ever recipient of a Leading Actress oscar??!! [excited giggle/squeak]

BEST PICTURE:
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Runners Up (tied)
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Juno

BEST ACTRESS:
ELLEN PAGE - JUNO
Runner Up - Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

BEST ACTOR:
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Runner Up - Don Cheadle --Talk to Me

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
AMY RYAN - GONE BABY GONE
Runner Up - Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
CASEY AFFLECK - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
Runner Up - Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War

BEST DIRECTOR:
ETHAN AND JOEL COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Runner Up - Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD - ROGER DEAKINS
Runner Up - Atonement - Seamus McGarvey

BEST SCREENPLAY (original or adapted):
JUNO - DIABLO CODY
Runner Up - No Country For Old Men - Ethan and Joel Coen, Cormac McCarthy

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Runner Up - The Kite Runner

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
SICKO
Runner Up - King of Kong - A Fist Full of Quarters

BEST COMEDY:
JUNO
Runner Up - Superbad

BEST ANIMATED OR CHILDREN'S FILM:
RATATOUILLE
Runner Up - The Simpsons Movie

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (CGI/Special Effects)
300
Runners Up (tied) -
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Sweeney Todd

BEST SCORE:
SWEENEY TODD
Runners Up (tied) -
La Vie En Rose
Once

MOST ORIGINAL OR INNOVATIVE FILM:
I'M NOT THERE
Runner Up - Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Screen Actors Guild Nominations 2007

General Reaction: Oh. My. God. Atonement seriously shafted. Into the Wild needed this love. And I should have anticipated Cate Blanchett, but if we're going on the Crowe-Howard battle in '05, Oscar will probably let Cate have the one nomination. God, let's hope so. I don't know why I'm surprised. SAG always choose badly. A plea to AMPAS: Please do not let American Gangster be nominated for Best Picture. Here are the nominations...

Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett -Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie -Away From Her
Marion Cotillard -La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie -A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page -Juno

Prediction Score: 4/5

Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney -Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis -There Will Be Blood
Ryan Gosling -Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch -Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen -Eastern Promises

Prediction Score: 2/5 I heard that they had loved Gosling, and I expected that McAvoy wasn't strong here, but Hirsch at the expense of Depp? I thought Langella might get in here too. Still it's shaken things up a bit.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett -I'm Not There
Ruby Dee -American Gangster
Catherine Keener -Into the Wild
Amy Ryan -Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton -Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 3/5 Ruby Dee... you've gotta be kidding. She's in the film marginally longer than Redgrave and achieves about 1% of impact in comparison. An awful nomination. I think Keener is the more likely to score with Oscar. The other three are already in.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Casey Affleck -The Assassination of Jesse James
Javier Bardem -No Country For Old Men
Hal Holbrook -Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones -No Country For Old Men
Tom Wilkinson -Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 3/5 Affleck, Bardem, Holbrook and Wilkinson are already predictable for Oscar. Hoffman's snub is a blow but they clearly weren't into Charlie Wilson.

Ensemble

3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Hairspray
Into the Wild
No Country For Old Men

Prediction Score: 1/5 Wow. I can understand the last three but Yuma and Gangster? Just appalling.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

2007: The Music

Top Ten Singles:

1. CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
2. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
3. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
4. Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game
5. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - Umbrella
6. Mark Ronson - Stop Me
7. Bat For Lashes - What's A Girl To Do?
8. Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
9. Kate Nash - Foundations
10. Jack Penate - Second, Minute or Hour


Top Ten Albums:

1. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
2. M.I.A. - Kala
3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Robyn - Robyn
5. Girls Aloud - Tangled Up
6. CSS - CSS
7. The Fratellis - Costello Music
8. Bjork - Volta
9. Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics
10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

SAG 2007 {Predictions}

With SAG early this year it's going to be interesting. Will their nominations have more of an impact on the Academy's picks, or will the usual SAG role of dashing the dreams of those snubbed at the Globes mean we face a lengthy month of knowing pretty much what they'll pick? If it's the latter I vote they move it back next year.

Quick explanation of my picks
: I went for the hefty ensembles, the people who are blatantly "acting", and tossed in a couple of old legends that they might not be able to leave out.

Best Ensemble

Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
I'm Not There
No Country For Old Men
Sweeney Todd

Alternates: There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead



Best Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening
Denzel Washington - American Gangster


Alternates: James McAvoy - Atonement, Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises


Best Actress in a Leading Role

Amy Adams - Enchanted
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page - Juno

Alternates: Keira Knightley - Atonement, Laura Linney - The Savages, Helena Bonham-Carter - Sweeney Todd


Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Max Von Sydow - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Alternates: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James, Philip Bosco - The Savages, John Travolta - Hairspray


Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Alternates: Catherine Keener - Into the Wild, Ruby Dee - American Gangster

Austin Critics {Winners}

Top Ten:

There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old men
Juno
Into the Wild
3:10 to Yuma
Knocked Up
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Atonement
American Gangster
Eastern Promises

Best Film:
There Will Be Blood

Best Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Actress:
Ellen Page, 'Juno'

Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, 'No Country For Old Men'

Best Supporting Actress:
Allison Janney, Juno

Best Foreign Film:
Black Book

Best Documentary:
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Best Animated Film:
Ratatouille

Best First Film:
Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone'

Best Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody, 'Juno'

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Ethan & & Joel Coen, 'No Country For Old Men'

Best Cinematography:
Robert Elswit, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Original Score:
Jonny Greenwood, 'There Will Be Blood'

Breakthrough Artist:
Michael Cera, 'Superbad,' 'Juno

Austin Film Award:
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, 'Grindhouse'

Toronto Critics {Winners}

BEST PICTURE
"No Country for Old Men" (Alliance Films)

Runners-up
"Eastern Promises" (Odeon Films)
"Zodiac" (Paramount Pictures)

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"

Runners-up
George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Gordon Pinsent, "Away From Her"

BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE -- TIE
Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
and
Ellen Page, "Juno"

Runner-up
Laura Dern, "Inland Empire"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James
By the Coward Robert Ford"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"

Runners-up
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton"

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
David Cronenberg, "Eastern Promises"
David Fincher, "Zodiac"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"

BEST CANADIAN FILM
"Away From Her" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"Eastern Promises" (Odeon Films)
"Radiant City" (Odeon Films)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Away From Her", directed by Sarah Polley

Runners-up
"Gone Baby Gone", directed by Ben Affleck
"Michael Clayton", directed by Tony Gilroy

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Ratatouille" (Disney/Pixar)

Runners-up
"Paprika" (Mongrel Media)
"The Simpsons Movie" (20th Century Fox)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Alliance Films)
"The Lives of Others" (Mongrel Media)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"No End in Sight" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"Iraq in Fragments" (Mongrel Media)
"My Kid Could Paint That" (Mongrel Media)

Hottest Track: Kelly Rowland - Work [Freemasons Remix]

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

South-Eastern Film Critics {Winners}

Firstly... I HATE WAITRESS! Secondly, what on earth is the Wyatt award supposed to be for? Could that top five be Oscar's BP line-up?

BEST PICTURE
1. No Country for Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Atonement
4. Juno
5. Michael Clayton
6. Zodiac
7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
8. Gone Baby Gone
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10. Into the Wild

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
* Runner-up: George Clooney - Michael Clayton

BEST ACTRESS
Julie Christie - Away from Her
* Runner-up: Ellen Page - Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
* Runner-up: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Joe Wright - Atonement

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody - Juno
* Runner-up: Tamara Jenkins - The Savages

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Christopher Hampton - Atonement

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France)
* Runner-up: La vie en rose (France)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
No End in Sight
* Runner-up: Sicko

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Ratatouille
* Runner-up: The Simpsons Movie

WYATT AWARD
Waitress
* Runner-up: Black Snake Moan

Dallas Fort-Worth Critics {Winners}

I'm a bit distressed at the inclusion of The Kite Runner and Charlie Wilson. How great is the Christie/Cotillard/Page battle?! Such interesting performances and all with detractors. Nobody wants a Helen Mirren year. Woohoo for Tilda Swinton!! But how come it took us to get all the way to Dallas for someone to acknowledge that she is flat out brilliant??

Top Ten:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Juno
3. There Will Be Blood
4. Atonement
5. Michael Clayton
6. Into the Wild
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8. The Kite Runner
9.The Assassination of Jesse James
10. Charlie Wilson's War

Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis
Runners-up included George Clooney for MICHAEL CLAYTON (2), Frank Langella for STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING (3), Tommy Lee Jones for IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (4) and Emile Hirsch for INTO THE WILD (5).

Best Actress:
Julie Christie
Next in the voting were Marion Cotillard for LA VIE EN ROSE (2), Ellen Page for JUNO (3), Laura Linney for THE SAVAGES (4) and Angelina Jolie for A MIGHTY HEART (5).

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
He was followed by Philip Seymour Hoffman for CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2), Casey Affleck for THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (3), Tom Wilkinson for MICHAEL CLAYTON (4) and Hal Holbrook for INTO THE WILD (5).

For Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton
Runners-up included Amy Ryan for GONE BABY GONE (2), Cate Blanchett for I'M NOT THERE (3), Saoirse Ronan for ATONEMENT (4) and Jennifer Jason Leigh for MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (5).

Best Director:
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Next in the voting were Paul Thomas Anderson for THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2), Tim Burton for SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (3), Julian Schnabel for THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (4) and Sean Penn for INTO THE WILD (5).

Screenplay:
Juno, Diablo Cody
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Assassination of Jesse James

The association voted ONCE as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

AFI Awards

Ratatouille may already have won my award for 2007's "Most Overrated"...

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR - OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
KNOCKED UP
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
RATATOUILLE
THE SAVAGES
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Golden Satellite Awards {Winners}

Motion Picture, Drama : No Country For Old Men
Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical :
Juno
Motion Picture, Foreign Film :
Lust, Caution
Motion Picture, Animated Or Mixed Media : Ratatouille
Documentary : Sicko
Director :
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - No Country For Old Men
Actress, Drama :
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Actor, Drama : Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Actress, Comedy Or Musical : Ellen Page - Juno
Actor, Comedy Or Musical :
Ryan Gosling - Lars And The Real Girl
Actress In A Supporting Role, Drama : Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Actor In A Supporting Role, Drama (tie) -
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton, Casey Affleck - The Assassination Of Jessie James
Original Screenplay : Diablo Cody - Juno
Adapted Screenplay : Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Original Score : Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
Original Song : « Grace Is Gone» - Grace Is Gone
Cinematography :
Janusz Kaminski - The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Visual Effects : 300
Film Editing :
American Gangster
Sound (Mixing & Editing) : The Bourne Ultimatum
Art Direction & Production Design : Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Costume Design : Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Party Over

I've completely neglected the whole critics/awards fever this weekend since I was otherwise engaged.. aka either drinking, sleeping, or hungover. So after finally leaving my pit of drunkeness I return to find that some things change (Tilda Swinton wins a critic award!!) and some things don't (No Country and the Coens continue to be everybody's pick....even women). I will now proceed to list all of the awards I missed. Haha.

On another note, I'm gonna start compiling end-of-year lists for non-film stuff. Since lists are fun. Yay!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

The Last of England (Jarman, 1987)

The Last of England
Directed by Derek Jarman
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Rupert Audley, Gay Gaynor, Matthew Hawkins, Spencer Leigh, Gerrard McCarthur, Jonathan Phillips, Nigel Terry
Grade: A

You know how every so often a film comes along that just blows your mind? Well Derek Jarman's The Last of England is this kind of film. Not only because its 87-minute running time is composed of, essentially, a montage of striking cultural representations, much like Luis Buñuel's 1930 film L'Âge d'or, but because its themes are both bold and audacious. The title 'The Last of England' is taken from a painting by Ford Madox Brown of two people leaving England to start a new life abroad. This image could not be more suited to Jarman's political intentions, acting as an intertextual reference in his doomed, apocalyptic view of the country.

Having grown up in a northern town I have been exposed to a lot of Thatcher resentment. The effects of her government can still be felt here -- not necessarily in my town but delapidated run-down mining villages close by -- and thus it can be a touchy subject. Jarman made this after seven years of Tory rule; a film that is visually captivating in all of its ugly reality, that is made with such ferocity and bitterness. It acts as a political rant in itself, taking a pop at the institutionalised Thatcher government, and the way its obsession with capitalism, consumerism and manipulation led to such social neglect and ignorance. The amazing thing though is that in making the style and tone of the film so quick, so harsh, so angry, Jarman has encapsulated his generation. A whole entire new film can be made about the political effects of an angry Britain, and perhaps some have, but it takes some doing to make something with such an ingrained social context span decades in insight and relevance.

I must say that I would have to think long and hard about watching this film again, not really because of how its made (although it's very intimidating) but rather that what it says is so painfully honest. It achieves more than any socio-realist drama I've seen from Ken Loach or Mike Leigh because it is neither dated or inaccurate and actually surpasses post-modernity. According to IMDB, The Last of England never got a theatrical release in this country, which certainly isn't surprising given its unconventional style and scathing political commentary, but with every fibre of my being I urge you to rent this film. Especially if you're English.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

From Beyond the Rave: Hammer Returns

If you didn't already know, Hammer Horror, the company that produced such wonderfully lavish trash as The Fall of the House of Usher, is set for a return in the spring. New film Beyond the Rave is about a soldier who tries to rescue his girlfriend from a cult of ravers before he travels back to Iraq the next morning. I'm not sure if we can hope for political commentary, but this synopsis kicks serious rear. It also stars a couple of A-list exes; Jude Law's ex Sadie Frost, and Keira Knightley's former squeeze, and bit part in Marie Antoinette, Jamie Dornan. Anyway, here's the first teaser trailer. Bear in mind this is Hammer. It's supposed to be cheap and trashy. Lol.

Chicago Film Critics Association {Winners}

No Country sweeps again, and Ellen Page gets her first critics non-breakthrough acting prize this year.

BEST PICTURE
"No Country for Old Men"

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days"

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel & Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody for" Juno"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Joel & Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood"

BEST ACTRESS
Ellen Page for "Juno"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem for "No Country for Old Men"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett for "I'm Not There"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova for "Once"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"Sicko"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Ratatouille"

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Michael Cera for "Juno" and "Superbad"

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Ben Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone"

London Film Critics Circle {Nominations}

Film of the Year
No Country For Old Men (Paramount)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner)
There Will Be Blood (Disney)
Zodiac (Warner)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)

The Attenborough Award for British Film of the Year
Once (Icon)
Control (Momentum)
Atonement (Universal)
Eastern Promises (Pathe)
This Is England (Optimum)

Foreign Language Film of the Year
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Pathe)
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Artificial Eye)
The Lives of Others (Lionsgate)
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner)
Tell No One (Revolver)

Director of the Year
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - The Lives of Others (Lionsgate)
Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood (Disney)
Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country For Old Men (Paramount)
David Fincher – Zodiac (Warner)
Cristian Mungui – 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Artificial Eye)

British Director of the Year
Anton Corbijn – Control (Momentum)
Paul Greengrass – The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Shane Meadows – This Is England (Optimum)
Joe Wright – Atonement (Universal)
Danny Boyle – Sunshine (Fox)

Actor of the Year
Ulrich Muhe – The Lives of Others (Lionsgate)
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner)
George Clooney – Michael Clayton (Pathe)
Tommy Lee Jones – In the Valley of Elah (Optimum)
Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood (Disney)

Actress of the Year
Laura Linney – The Savages (Fox)
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose (Icon)
Maggie Gyllenhaall – Sherry Baby (Metrodome)
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart (Paramount)
Anamaria Marinca – 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Artificial Eye)

British Actor of the Year
Sam Riley - Control (Momentum)
James McAvoy – Atonement (Universal)
Christian Bale – 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate)
Jim Broadbent - And When Did You Last See Your Father (Disney)
Jonny Lee Miller – The Flying Scotsman (Verve)

British Actress of the Year
Samantha Morton – Control (Momentum)
Julie Christie – Away From Her (Metrodome)
Keira Knightley – Atonement (Universal)
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd (Warner)
Sienna Miller – Interview (The Works)

British Actor in a Supporting Role
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton (Pathe)
Toby Jones – The Painted Veil (Momentum)
Alfred Molina – The Hoax (Momentum)
Tobey Kebell – Control (Momentum)
Albert Finney – Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Entertainment)

British Actress in a Supporting Role
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement (Universal)
Imelda Staunton – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner)
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton (Pathe)
Kelly Macdonald – No Country for Old Men (Paramount)
Vanessa Redgrave – Atonement (Universal)

Screenwriter of the Year
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck – The Lives of Others (Lionsgate)
Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country for Old Men (Paramount)
Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood (Disney)
Ronald Harwood – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Pathe)
Christopher Hampton – Atonement (Universal)

British Breakthrough – Acting
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement (Universal)
Sam Riley - Control (Momentum)
Thomas Turgoose – This Is England (Optimum)
Benedict Cumberbatch – Amazing Grace (Momentum)
Dakota Blue Richards – The Golden Compass (Entertainment)

British Breakthrough – Film-making
John Carney, writer and director – Once (Icon)
Sarah Gavron, director – Brick Lane (Optimum)
Anton Corbijn, director – Control (Momentum)
Matt Greenhalgh, writer – Control (Momentum)
Stevan Riley, writer, director and producer – Blue Blood (Miracle)

The awards will be presented by the Critics' Circle at a ceremony in London on Friday, 8 February 2008, in aid of the children's charity NSPCC.

Official 2007 Golden Globe Nominations

Atonement leads the nominations!! :-)

Best Motion Picture - Drama

American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Prediction Score: 4/5

Reaction
: I'm only counting it as out of five. It's not my fault they can't make up their minds this year. Haha. So The Great Debaters. I remember seeing a few ads for this, so I imagine that has a lot to do with why it's here. Although I think it's bad news should Denzel fans pursue this film further. In a picture race where the last couple of spots are so tight you don't want anything that could cancel you out. As I said in my predictions, they like Cronenberg, so I'm not surprised about the inclusion of Promises -- even though it far from deserves it. I think I underestimated Gangster because I didn't like it.


Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy

Across The Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd

Prediction Score: 4/5

Reaction: I should have anticipated Across the Universe but I must say I am very surprised that it made it in such a competitive year. The thing is, the Globes really don't care if something's been panned, and we know they lurve their musicals. The Savages got seriously shafted.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her
Jodie Foster – The Brave One
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley – Atonement

Prediction Score: 5/5

Reaction: Easy. Good quality category.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
Ellen Page – Juno

Prediction Score: 3/5

Reaction: I was wrong about Blanchett going lead, I'm happy to say. I love that Helena was included. But no Laura Linney?! Seriously damaging. Needs SAG to love The Savages. I'm not sure it's going to happen. Great category.


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy – Atonement
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington – American Gangster

Prediction Score: 4/5

Reaction: Nearly got this right. A little too crowded for Brad this year. I think Langella will probably make an appearance at SAG, and maybe Depp. Mortensen is the least secure here.


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical

Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Prediction Score: 4/5

Reaction: I read Glenn's predictions yesterday and saw Reilly there (a great call) but didn't think that much of it. In retrospect, popularity is everything. And Depp really didn't need another nomination here.


Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 3/5

Reaction: Hahaha. It matters who you are in Hollywood. I don't really care though cause I love me some Julia. The rest should make it, and maybe this will match with the Oscar lineup come January. Who knows?


Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Casey Affleck – The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 4/5

Reaction: Holbrook will probably take over from Travolta at SAG. The rest are pretty standard.

Best Screenplay

Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Juno
No Country For Old Men

Prediction Score: 3/5

Reaction: Boy did they love Charlie Wilson and the Diving Bell. The other three are the strongest screenplays for Oscar.

Final Prediction Score: 34/45 (76%)

Other nominations:

Best Song

Enchanted - "That's How You Know"
Grace Is Gone - "Grace Is Gone"
Into the Wild - "Guaranteed"
Love in the Time of Cholera - "Despedida"
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - "Walk Hard"

Best Score

Atonement - Dario Marianelli
Eastern Promises - Howard Shore
Grace Is Gone - Clint Eastwood
Into the Wild - Michael Brook
The Kite Runner - Alberto Iglesias

Best Animated Feature Film

Bee Movie
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

Best Foreign Languge Film

4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (France, United States)
The Kite Runner (United States)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Hottest Track: Kylie Minogue - Wow

Wow is the word.

Golden Globes 2007 {Predictions}

The last week has been crazy, what with the NBR last Wednesday, prizes from Boston, LA, New York, Washington and San Francisco following, and nominations from Chicago and yesterday the Broadcast critics. I haven't been able to post about anything else. Ahead of tomorrow's Golden Globe Nominations (!!) I'm gonna give my take on how it affects each race, and what/who I think is going to be nominated...

Best Picture (Drama)

The Assasination of Jesse James
Atonement
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Alternate: Eastern Promises

The Picture race has become much much clearer over the past week. There Will Be Blood's LAFCA double, other good notices and early raves mean it's looking strong for Awards Season -- even if it may take more for Oscar to bite. The Globes don't seem to have a problem nominating heavy films anyway. No Country For Old Men is winning most of the critics prizes so far, and had major buzz in November, which bodes well for these nominations. Atonement similarly has always had big buzz. Plus the Globes define the importance of image and spectacle. Michael Clayton is looking more like an Oscar BP nominee with every day. Undoubtedly a filler, but everyone seems to like it. Into the Wild leads the Critics Choice nominees and may well be the favourite for victory there, so that's also looking a strong proposition, but it's not necessarily the type of film the Globes will love. My alternate is Eastern Promises based on the fact that they went for Cronenberg's History of Violence in 2005 and this year doesn't have an endless amount of candidates. A definite possibility. As is The Kite Runner and American Gangster, which pretty much sums up the list of drama candidates for Oscar, with the exception of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which is ineligible in this category at the Globes.

Best Picture
(Comedy/Musical)

Charlie Wilson's War
Enchanted
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd

Alternate: The Savages

I know. I know. I know. But it's all about the campaign. Juno and Sweeney Todd are the strongest here, probably more so the latter, given their tendency to give the win to a musical in this category. I think Juno is perhaps a little stronger for Oscar. Hairspray, again, because it's a musical. Enchanted because it was hot property last month, and Charlie Wilson because they've been campaigning hard, and they like to acknowledge baity films. The Savages lost a lot of steam. I hope it doesn't lose out but it's in dodgy territory. Other contenders are Ratatouille, Knocked Up and Lars and the Real Girl, which has done a lot better than I thought it would. Once is a longshot.

Best Director

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Ethan & Joel Coen - No Country For Old Men
Andrew Dominik - The Assassination of Jesse James
Joe Wright - Atonement

Alternate: Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton

If you're spoiled for choice, go for showy.

Best Actress (Drama)

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement

Alternate: Tang Wei - Lust, Caution

These are the only ladies who have had really big Oscar buzz and strong campaigns to match.

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)

Amy Adams - Enchanted
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

Alternate: Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd

Now this is an interesting category. You might be surprised that I included Blanchett, but the Globes tend to make performances blurred between lead and supporting lead. Plus when they were filling their ballots there was all that talk about them campaigning her as lead anyway. Nicole Kidman will hope that the HFPA liked Margot half as much as they liked Squid and the Whale two years ago, but I wouldn't bet on it. Nikki Blonsky, Katherine Heigl, and Keri Russell (who I sincerely hope will not be nominated) are possibilities here. I didn't want to leave out Carter, but they'll have to really love the film to include her I think. Adams, Cotillard and Linney are probably the only women mentioned here who have a chance at getting an Actress nom at Oscar.

Best Actor (Drama)

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Brad Pitt - The Assassination of Jesse James

Alternate: Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Clooney and Day Lewis are strong. McAvoy is shaky as he's the least "macho" in a host of macho performances here. Plus he's the youngest and most inexperienced. But he's a hottie, which will help him here. Pitt has lots of competition, but can they resist a Pitt/Jolie double nom. Red carpet goodness right there. Plus they nominated him last year. It was a tough call between Mortensen and Washington, but I figure they'll like Promises better than Gangster. Other contenders are Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin and Frank Langella, who I suspect will be snubbed here but enter the frame at SAG.

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)

Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages

Alternate: John Travolta - Hairspray

I think a double nom is on the cards for Depp. He got nominated for both the other Pirates films. They adore him. His Sweeney turn will most likely win it. Similarly they aren't going to deny Hanks an opportunity. Lord knows he hasn't had too many lately. Hoffman has raves even though the film has weakened. And Gosling has a couple of nominations and a film that most people liked. Plus he's an in thing. All that Lovely Bones stuff shouldn't matter. I'm going to put Travolta in supporting but he could feature here. Seth Rogen is in with a shot too, and boy does he deserve it.

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh - Margot at the Wedding
Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone, Baby, Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Alternate: Kelly MacDonald - No Country For Old Men

As I've explained, I think Blanchett is going lead. Amy Ryan has battered everybody else in the critics awards, and is surely heading for an Oscar nomination. Tilda Swinton is rightfully getting noticed this Awards Season. The Atonement girls are the only really solid picks from the rest of the pack, and I wouldn't count out a triple Briony nomination with the introduction of Garai, but I'm not brave enough to predict it. I think Leigh is popular enough to grab the fifth spot -- especially if they like the film. Other contenders are Ruby Dee (I'd be appalled), Catherine Keener, and Leslie Mann, who will definitely have some fans here.

Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James
Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
John Travolta - Hairspray

Alternate: Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

I'm thinking Travolta is more likely to make an appearance here. Think Ferrell in The Producers. What I said about the Globes pushing performers with a lot of screentime lead is unlikely to apply to Casey Affleck. Of course he's lead, but the Actor (Drama) category is already too competitive and as I've said, I espect Pitt to be nominated there. Holbrook should be OK. Was a tough call between Hoffman and Wilkinson, but Hoffman has the popularity at the moment. The old guard, Max Von Sydow and Philip Bosco could definitely upset here... although I think they have a better chance at SAG. The Sweeney supporting crowd could get noticed. Especially last year's Actor winner Sacha Baron Cohen.

Best Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Diablo Cody - Juno
Ethan & Joel Coen - No Country For Old Men
Christopher Hampton - Atonement
Nancy Oliver - Lars and the Real Girl

Alternate: Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Critics Choice {Nominees}

NOMINEES FOR THE 13TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

PICTURE
American Gangster
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

ACTOR
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Ryan Gosling - Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

ACTRESS
Amy Adams - Enchanted
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page - Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Catherine Keener - Into the Wild
Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

ACTING ENSEMBLE
Hairspray
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
Gone Baby Gone
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

DIRECTOR
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Sidney Lumet - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joe Wright - Atonement

WRITER
Diablo Cody - Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Nancy Oliver - Lars and the Real Girl
Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Aaron Sorkin - Charlie Wilson's War

ANIMATED FEATURE
Bee Movie
Beowulf
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

YOUNG ACTOR
Michael Cera - Juno
Michael Cera - Superbad
Freddie Highmore - August Rush
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada - The Kite Runner
Edward Sanders - Sweeney Todd

YOUNG ACTRESS
Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Dakota Blue Richards - The Golden Compass
Anna Sophia Robb - Bridge to Terabithia
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement

COMEDY MOVIE
Dan in Real Life
Hairspray
Juno
Knocked Up
Superbad

FAMILY FILM (LIVE ACTION)
August Rush
Enchanted
The Golden Compass
Hairspray
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
The Company
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Tin Man
The War

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
La Vie en Rose
Lust, Caution
The Orphanage

SONG
Come So Far - Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelley - Hairspray
Do You Feel Me - Anthony Hamilton - American Gangster
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Once
Guaranteed - Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild
That's How You Know - Amy Adams - Enchanted

COMPOSER
Marco Beltrami - 3:10 to Yuma
Alexandre Desplat - Lust, Caution
Clint Eastwood - Grace- Is Gone
Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood
Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Alan Menken - Enchanted

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Darfur Now
In the Shadow of the Moon
The King of Kong
No End in Sight
Sharkwater
Sicko

San Francisco Critics {Winners}

***These awards are coming thick and fast. I'm going to attempt to summarise what they mean, and do my Globe predictions (nominations are on Thursday) either tonight or tomorrow.

Wow. Neither No Country or There Will Be Blood win here. Interestingly, they loved Jesse James and then deemed that Casey Affleck was "supporting" in the film. Hmm... Amy Ryan is steamrollering everyone else in the Supp Actress race. At least in a critical sense. But can she beat La Blanchett?


Best Picture
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Best Director
Joel and Ethan Coen for "No Country for Old Men"

Best Original Screenplay
"The Savages"

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Away from Her"

Best Actor
George Clooney for "Michael Clayton"

Best Actress
Julie Christie for "Away from Her"

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck for "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone"

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

Best Documentary
"No End in Sight"

Monday, December 10, 2007

CFCA {Nominees}

No Atonement? Gotta be kidding. I'm happy for Once. Major Michael Clayton love. It's interesting how two of the categories (Actress and Supp Actor) are strikingly similar to Nathaniel's predictions over at The Film Experience. These veterans of Oscar prognostications showing their worth. Still, I hope there's some shuffling to be done before then. Here are the nominees:

Best Picture

"Into the Wild"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Once"
"There Will Be Blood"

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
David Fincher, "Zodiac"
Jason Reitman, "Juno"

Best Actor
George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Ryan Gosling, "Lars and the Real Girl"
Frank Langella, "Starting Out in the Evening"
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"

Best Actress
Julie Christie, "Away from Her"
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Angelina Jolie, "A Mighty Heart"
Laura Linney, "The Savages"
Ellen Page, "Juno"

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton"

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"
Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Margot at the Wedding"
Leslie Mann, "Knocked Up"
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton"

Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird–Ratatouille
Diablo Cody–Juno
Tony Gilroy–Michael Clayton
Tamara Jenkins–The Savages
Kelly Masterston–Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Atonement"
"Into the Wild"
"No Country for Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"
"Zodiac"

Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Black Book
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
La Vie En Rose
Lust, Caution
The Orphanage

New York Film Critics Circle {Winners}

Amy Ryan wins again (!!) Yay for Julie Christie! No Country is looking like the critical darling, but is it ever going to be an 'Oscar' Best Picture?

Best Picture:

No Country For Old Men

Best Director:
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country For Old Men

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Best Actress:
Julie Christie - Away From Her

Best Supporting Actor:

Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men


Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Ryan - Gone, Baby, Gone

Best Screenplay:
No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen)

Best Foreign Film:
The Lives of Others

Best Documentary:
No End In Sight

Best Animated Feature:
Persepolis

Best Cinematography:
There Will Be Blood (Robert Elswit)

Best First Film:
Sarah Polley (Away From Her)

New York Online Critics {Winners}

This joint win sums up what a great day it was for these two films...

Best Picture: (tie)
There Will Be Blood & The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis for There Will Be Blood

Best Actress:
Julie Christie for Away from Her

Director
Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood

Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There

Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men

Breakthrough Performer
Ellen Page for Juno

Debut Director
Sarah Polley for Away from Her

Ensemble Cast
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Screenplay
Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola for The Darjeeling Limited

Documentary
Sicko

Foreign Language: (tie)
Lives of Others & Persepolis

Animated
Persepolis

Cinematography
Robert Elswit for There Will Be Blood

Film Music
Jonny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood

Top Ten Films:

Atonement (Focus Features)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (THINKFilm)
The Darjeeling Limited (Fox Searchlight)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax)
I'm Not There (The Weinstein Company)
Juno (Fox Searchlight)
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.)
No Country for Old Men (Miramax)
Persepolis (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sweeney Todd (Dreamworks)
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage)

Washington D.C. Critics {Winners}

D.C. Announce their winners. Amy Ryan is now 4 for 4. No Country is 3 for 4. And is it beginning to look like Christie Vs. Cotillard? Here's the verdict from the capital:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: No Country for Old Men

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Ethan and Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: George Clooney (Michael Clayton)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Julie Christie (Away from Her)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Diablo Cody (Juno)

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: No Country for Old Men

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner:
Ratatouille

BEST ART DIRECTION
Winner: Sweeney Todd

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Winner: Ellen Page (Juno)

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Los Angeles Critics {Winners}

And There Will Be Blood is officially BACK IN THE GAME. Major, major boost here. Cotillard, Langella and Ryan are doing great. Diving Bell continues to score in the major categories. Here's the LAFCA winners:-

BEST PICTURE: There Will Be Blood
Runner-Up: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)
Runner Up: Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Runner-Up: Frank Langella (Starting Out in the Evening)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose)
Runner-Up: Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Vlad Ivanov (4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: Ratatouille and Persepolis (tie)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Winner: No End in Sight

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Janusz Kaminski (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner:
There Will Be Blood

BEST MUSIC
Winner: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Once)

NEW GENERATION
Winner: Sarah Polley (Away from Her)

Boston Critics {Winners}

Boston have had their say, and isn't Julian Schnabel, Diving and Amy Ryan looking strong at the moment? It's good to mix it up.

Best Picture:
No Country for Old Men

Best Director:
Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Actor:
Frank Langella for Starting Out in the Evening

Best Actress:
Marion Cotillard for La Vie En Rose

Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone

Best Cinematography:
Janusz Kaminski for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Screenplay:
Brad Bird for Ratatouille

Best Documentary:
Crazy Love

Best Foreign-Language Film:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best New Filmmaker:
Ben Affleck for Gone Baby Gone

Best Ensemble Cast:
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Best Picture: Is is still a Contest?

With Atonement opening in America to a host of raves this weekend (85 on metacritic), having been the subject of massive buzz since its release here in England three months ago, has it played the perfect hand in the Oscar game this year?

Because the buzz has been going so long there was a sense that it might receive a backlash from critics. Perhaps it did, but ultimately of the most minor and insignificant degree. Some might say that AMPAS have moved on from 1997, but if they have it isn't enough to deny Atonement the prize it gave to Titanic, a film in its own league of buzz and epicness, but not a million miles away from Joe Wright's stunning film.

You have to wonder whether it will even matter if Atonement doesn't get any critic prizes. It is a film that awards bodies historically embrace in droves, and its nearest challenger, the NBR winner No Country For Old Men is distinctly not what Oscar goes for -- especially when it went for The Departed last year, a film with a similarly action feel.

You can already get odds of 7/2 on Atonement winning. Is it already time to cash in?

Friday, December 07, 2007

Merry Christmas! We're All Gonna Die!

So it's not like me to get behind silly novelty christmas song campaigns, but this one is truly deserving of attention. As much as I can't help but be hooked by The X Factor, and as much as I'm sure the winner will be the virgin virtuoso Rhydian Roberts, I don't want him to be christmas number one. The song the winner sings is a cover of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's syrupy, sentimental When You Believe, which is just plain wrong. I didn't even like it when Mariah and Whitney did it, never mind some reality show champion.

This brings me to the clip below, which is of Malcolm Middleton's indie track, We're All Gonna Die, which has been the subject of a mass campaign to get it into the christmas number one spot this year. It's bleak, completely unfestive, but an absoloutely cracking tune, that would be a big "fuck you" to the commercial ventures of Simon Cowell and co... Plus it would mean we actually get a good tune at the top this year.

If you like it, join the
facebook group and download the track from Itunes when the time comes.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

2007 National Board of Review {Winners}

Wow wow wow! Here are the winners:

Best Film: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The top ten (in alphabetical order):

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
ATONEMENT
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
THE BUCKET LIST
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
THE KITE RUNNER
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
MICHAEL CLAYTON
SWEENEY TODD

Reaction: Not a surprise about the winner. No Country is a lock for a nomination now. The big surprise here is Bucket List, which is probably a desperate Oscar-bait film. We'll see if it manages to get any traction from this. Lars and the Real Girl is also a bit of a surprise. NBR clearly liked this one, as we'll see further down. The rest are to be expected really. Ultimatum got great reviews.

Who this hurts: All the quirky and dark stuff that were left out, especially There Will Be Blood. This also brings Kite Runner, Clayton and Sweeney firmly into the BP hunt, and probably ahead of Anderson's pic in the race now.

Best Director: TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd

Reaction: Yay! This is a pleasant surprise! If the conservative NBR really liked Burton's dark and wacky musical others are bound to love it.

Best Actor: GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton

Reaction: Meh. Don't get me wrong, he's good. But there were better. I think the fact that the movie is named after him and puts so much of the spotlight on him definitely helps.

Best Actress: JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her

Reaction: Excellent news. My favourite performance of the year. I think the prizes could get divided in this category, which will make a change from last year. Lol.

Best Supporting Actor: CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James

Reaction: I'm sure Gone Baby Gone helped. He's had a good year. I definitely think he'll make the Oscar lineup.

Best Supporting Actress: AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone

Reaction: The Satellites and now this. The NBR Supp Actress pick is usually quite strange. Blanchett loses one already! Unthinkable.

Best Foreign Film: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Best Documentary: BODY OF WAR
Best Animated Feature: RATATOUILLE
Best Ensemble Cast:
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: ELLEN PAGE, Juno
Best Directorial Debut: BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone
Best Original Screenplay (tie): DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Adapted Screenplay: JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men

Reaction: A blow for La Vie En Rose. Otherwise this is standard, but for the win for Nancy Oliver, which coupled with the top 10 inclusion is a boost for Lars' chances at a Screenplay and maybe even an Actor nom. Who knows?

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Gold

One of my favourite tracks of all time. Enjoy.

Predictions {National Board of Review}

I am SO excited. The NBR announce their Top 10 and awards tomorrow. Their Best Picture nearly always gets in, so this is the first major test for all those Oscar hopefuls. Here's who I think will grab each prize, and I'll post the actual winners plus reaction tomorrow:

Best Picture: Into the Wild

Based on the fact their winner doesn't usually win at Oscar I'm not gonna go for Atonement. Otherwise I probably would have. I also think The Kite Runner is in with a shout. They gave it to Neverland and this looks equally as sappy.

Rest of Top Ten:

The Assassination of Jesse James
Atonement
I'm Not There
Juno
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

Best Director: Sean Penn - Into the Wild
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ellen Page - Juno
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

American Gangster & Enchanted

American Gangster
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Ruby Dee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Grade: C

American Gangster is the perfect example of an incalculable failure. The sum of its meaty parts: the legendary Ridley Scott, Oscar-winning actors Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and acclaimed screenwriter Stephen Zaillian (All the Kings Men aside) somehow manages to feel routine and completely underwhelming . It's one of those films that is stylish and -- even at 160 minutes -- is fairly easy to sit through; just difficult to take anything from.

Crowe, and particularly Washington, are in stellar form, but only share a couple of scenes in the film, the brunt of the time spent intercutting between the two. The film certainly doesn't work as a fast-paced police hunt, and so tries to atone for this by creating thin similarities between cop and criminal; so much so that they actually seem to enjoy each other's company when they finally do meet (wtf?) -- a finale with a nonsensically epilogue feel about it. Gangster is so far on the outside of its characters and themes that it feels as though they've wiped the board and started again after every scene. There's nothing to learn about anything or anyone in the film, so they really may as well have.

Enchanted
Directed by Kevin Lima
Starring: Amy Adams, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey
Grade: B-

Amy Adams' performance as fish-out-of-water Princess Giselle will undoubtedly emerge as a highlight of this year. One of the best displays to have come out of the genre, and certainly the best since Jamie Lee Curtis' fantastic turn in 2003's hilarious Freaky Friday. Her character really represents Disney in her invasion of the 'real world', almost as a reminder of its existence, and is drawn with gorgeous intentions; the main reason the film works as well as it does. It has been a long time since Disney ruled any roost, but their simple and core values of romance here are as well-conveyed as that of its golden age. It defies opportunities to contradict and modernise itself, batting its narrative eyelid at the complexities of tumultuous relationships. It's dated and naive, but the alienation of such admirable values does make you consider the extent to which the world's view of romance is now so far removed from that, complicated and self-aware.

What I did find a bit strange was Giselle's character arc, which, while genuine, felt much too sudden for me. It's a matter of hours before she turns from crazy cartoon to contemplative human, which made me wonder what on earth she is supposed to have dreamt about that night. Nevertheless, her success as a character and vehicle in the film is unprecedented. But if you thought the summer fantasy Stardust was frantic, it's got nothing on this. Enchanted introduces characters and plot devices with frivolous disregard for cohesion or order. It's a production heightened greatly by the quality of the two leads, and one that only really loses control in the latter stages. It's goofy fun but while Enchanted may falter in its desire to provide the jugular, its tiresome ways are as endearing as a puppy dog: doting, loyal, pure.