Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Addicts: But First The Worst
But before we get to that, let me just tell you what I thought were the Worst things to take from the cinema in 2007. There were a few, although much less than last year, which I'm pleased to report. Maybe I just chose my films better in 2007. I guess these can't be 'Addicts'. Not severe enough. How about 'Junkies'? Anyway, here goes... (Winners are in red)
300
Ghost Rider
Saw IV
Waitress
Worst Director
Worst Actor
Worst Actress
Worst Screenplay
Monday, February 25, 2008
Oscars! Winners & Reaction
Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, Juno
Best Doc Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side
Best Doc Short: Freeheld
Best Score: Atonement
Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood
Best Song: Falling Slowly, Once
Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters
Best Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Sound Mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Sound Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Animated Short Peter and the Wolf
Live Action short: Le Mozart des Pickpockets
Art Direction: Sweeney Todd
Visual Effects: The Golden Compass
Best Makeup: La Vie Rose
Best Animated Feature: Ratouille
Best Costume Design: Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Prediction Score: 14/24 (Same as last year. I'm pleased!)
Best Victory: Tilda Swinton's win for Michael Clayton. One of the best ever Supporting Actress wins. I would have been happy with anyone but Ruby Dee winning but this was a bonus.
Best Speech: Diablo Cody. Lovely, genuine, and she appropriately dedicated her award to the writers. Tilda Swinton bringing up Batman and Robin is a pretty close second though. Oh and I also loved the Freeheld people. Visibly overjoyed.
Worst Victory: Generally very good this year. Gone are the days of Sean Penn in Mystic River and Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. I liked most of these choices. Maybe the effects win for The Golden Compass is the worst of them, and was clearly awarded because animals are cuter than robots.
Worst Moment: Any of the clips. Do we need to know every Oscar winner since 1928? Absurd. Especially when you consider they cut a load of time off the In Memoriam slot.
Best Dressed: Jennifer Garner. Simple black dress with gorgeous detail at the bottom, beautiful hair, and a stunning diamond necklace to top the outfit off. Insanely pretty. Laura Linney also did very well. Loved her hair. LOVED Diane Lane's dress. Lovely thing on the waist. Katherine Heigl's shoulder detail. Wasn't sure about the hair. Marion Cotillard. Brave choice. The men: Javier, as ever, and Dwayne Johnson. Yummy. Best dressed couple, Seal and Heidi Klum. Dreamy.
Worst Dressed: I hated the colour of Amy Ryan's dress. Or at least on her. Didn't like the choice of Cameron Diaz. Boring. Amy Adams' deep green dress was not to my liking. Cate Blanchett. Weird neckline.
Indie Spirit Awards
Todd Haynes, Laura Rosenthal and the cast of I’m Not There
Best Director
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best Male Lead
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
Best Female Lead
Ellen Page, Juno
Best Feature
Juno
Best Supporting Male
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Talk To Me
Best First Screenplay
Diablo Cody, Juno
Best First Feature
The Lookout
Best Supporting Female
Cate Blanchett
John Cassavetes Award
August Evening
Best Foreign Film
Once
Best Screenplay
Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Best Documentary
Crazy Love
Best Cinematography
Janusz Kaminski, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Oscars! Final Predictions [The Big Two]
Atonement
Should Win: My favourite is Atonement.
Will Win: I'd like to begin by saying that this is one of the greatest BP lineups Oscar has ever had. Truly a brilliant representation of the year. Michael Clayton is my least favourite of these, and I might be a little miffed if it wins, but I don't think it will. For me it's a battle between the film that's at the top of every important list this year, No Country For Old Men, and the film that everyone loved, Juno. And I actually think that lil Juno is gonna take this award. $100m+ at the box office, a nomination for its director (more than Little Miss Sunshine's directors managed last year, and that was surely in contention for the win), and the endorsement of two major players in the Oscar game, Roger Ebert and Oprah Winfrey. Personally, I'd be thrilled if it won.
Director
Should Win: Probably the Coens. Or PTA.
Will Win: The Coens. They're stronger than their film because it's so admirably crafted.
Oscars! Final Predictions [The Actresses]
Will Win: Had Edith Piaf been American, and Marion Cotillard had played her in an American-produced film, in the English language, then she'd definitely win here. As it stands her performance is foreign, and Sophia Loren is the only actress in Oscar history to break this barrier, even though Cotillard herself has other things going for her; like the 20-something beauty transformed into an old diva. Instead I fancy she'll be pushed back into third place, for Julie Christie and Ellen Page, whose films lend empathy to their characters much more than Cotillard's will allow (not that I dislike La Vie En Rose -- on the contrary actually). Juno is strong, but there must be a group of the Academy that look down on it, and thus I really don't think Ellen Page's performance (as wonderful as it is) can triumph over a traditional win for the gorgeous, deserving Julie Christie.
Will Win: I've been going over this but I've finally settled on Amy Ryan. Everybody else, bar Ronan, seems to have won something, and people love her performance. Plus the role is total bait, even in a category comprising of a woman playing a man and an 83 year-old legend who tearfully attacks her drug-dealing son.
Oscars! Final Predictions [The Actors]
Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones - In The Valley Of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Should Win: I admire all of these performances, but the only two I wrestle with in my mind are Day Lewis' sinister turn as a guy engulfed by the greed and competition of the era, Darwinian to the extreme, and Tommy Lee Jones' perfectly-pitched performance as a grieving father, in which he's effectively asked to become an amateur sleuth and constantly rises far, far above this. My favourite is probably Daniel Day-Lewis.
Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis. In 2002 he led the critics, precursors etc. and lost out to Adrien Brody. A good decision if you ask me. But this year there is no pianist, and there is no pretender. It's so rewarding to witness someone like Daniel Day-Lewis talk about his work because you can really truly feel his passion. It's easy to think of Actors as they are in gossip magazines: distant, diplomatic, unaware, but this is a man who belongs at the centre of everything. A true oscar winner, if you will. And a two-time Oscar winner after tonight. No doubt about that.
Actor in a Supporting Role
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
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Should Win: I haven't seen Hal Holbrook, and I must say I'm a bit disappointed with this category. The one nominee I emotionally registered with is most definitely a 'Leading' actor, and the other three I've seen I like but don't love. Nevertheless, Javier Bardem's jaunt through No Country is a harrowing experience, and it's testament to how well the film is constructed that he never feels like a cartoon. Presence is his weapon, and it's a potent one.
Will Win: Javier Bardem. Duh. People haven't been able to look past this performance. It's in a hugely popular film, and belongs to a charismatic, beautiful man. Who can argue against that?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Oscars! Final Predictions [Foreign & Screenplays]
“Beaufort” (Israel)
“The Counterfeiters” (Austria)
“Katyń” (Poland)
“Mongol” (Kazakhstan)
“12” (Russia)
Should Win: I saw eight foreign-language films from last year and liked almost all of them, but none are featured here.
Will Win: Voters dissented against the populist choices of Persepolis and 4 Months, so theoretically anything could happen here. But the only one of these I can really pick for the win is The Counterfeiters, because it's the only one that's been given a release. It's also got great reviews.
Original Screenplay
“Juno”
“Lars and the Real Girl”
“Michael Clayton”
“Ratatouille”
“The Savages”
Should Win: Diablo Cody's Juno script is often indulgent but always clever, and manages to challenge pre-conceptions of its characters so wonderfully well. Way better than any of the other nominees, although I haven't seen Lars yet.
Will Win: Juno. Happy times.
Adapted Screenplay
“Atonement”
“Away from Her”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”
Oscars! Final Predictions [Design]
Art Direction
"American Gangster"
"Atonement"
"The Golden Compass"
"Sweeney Todd"
"There Will Be Blood"
Should Win: As much as I love Ferretti's wacky throwback to a murky-looking London, Atonement's got my vote for this award as well. So elaborate. Even the wallpaper!
Will Win: I don't know. Sweeney has the most overtly theatrical set, Atonement has the true period factor, and Blood has a lot of its set burned down. If the other awards work out the way I think they will, this could be There Will Be Blood's only real chance at a technical prize, and so I'll go for that.
Costume Design
"Across The Universe"
"Atonement"
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
"La Vie En Rose"
"Sweeney Todd"
Should Win: THE GREEN DRESS!
Will Win: THE GREEN DRESS!
Make Up
"La Vie En Rose"
"Norbit"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Should Win: Meh.
Will Win: Probably La Vie En Rose, since Cotillard herself is such a beauty that the scenes in which she is old do tend to make you wonder how long she had to be prepared before work every morning.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Oscars! Final Predictions [Cinematography, Editing and Effects]
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
“Atonement”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”
Should Win: If you've got it , flaunt it. Elswit's work on 'There Will Be Blood' is wonderfully natural, but the shameless showing off by McGarvey in Atonement works for me. Underlining epicness.
Will Win: Deakins is nominated twice, and No Country has probably shaded the critics' choice in this category anyway, so I'm inclined to go for that. The Academy could however choose to reward the technically showy Diving Bell here, since it's unlikely to win anything else. Decisions, decisions. I'm gonna stick with Deakins.
Film Editing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“Into the Wild”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood"
Should Win: I've only actually seen two of these, although I'm finally catching Diving Bell tomorrow. Of the two, No Country is much more accomplished in this department than the ambitious but admittedly faltering There Will Be Blood. And the editing doesn't escape Blood's list of flaws either.
Will Win: I'm quite wary of predicting No Country to win too many awards in a year where there are so many wonderfully-crafted films. I wouldn't be surprised if it took editing too, but I'm gonna place my bets on The Bourne Ultimatum, which is surely impressive in this area, and an award here would please its many fans.
Visual Effects
“The Golden Compass”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
“Transformers”
Brit Awards: Winners & Reaction
Reaction:
Best Victory - Kate Nash...None of my favourites in any category took home a Brit but Kate was the closest. She has an original sound that I very much enjoy.
Best Speech - Kate Nash... Honest, gracious, and major bonus points for the line, "Let's eradicate the notion that 'female' is a genre".
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Linkage: An Oscar Special
All About My Movies so wants Casey Affleck to walk away with the Supporting Actor prize on Sunday -- despite the blatant category fraud.
And The Winner Is... asks "What if...?" about Oscar's apparent outsiders.
Goatdog makes the case for Juno winning Best Picture. More from me on this later in the week.
In Contention thinks No Country already has it won.
ModFab has the Live Action Short rundown. We speculate for months on end and yet it still manages to catch you out that there are simply SO many categories and factors still to consider.
StinkyLulu becomes one of Amy Ryan's countless admirers. Wish I could chip in. Gone Baby Gone remains unreleased here in Britain.
Strange Culture chronicles the year's twists and turns. Everything changes so quickly in an Oscar race.
Predicting the Brits!
Jamie T
Mark Ronson
Mika
Newton Faulkner
Richard Hawley
If I had a vote it would go to... Jamie T, whose album I definitely prefer to Ronson's, and whose two leading singles, 'Calm Down Dearest' and 'Sheila', I prefer to Mika's 'Grace Kelly' and 'Love Today'.
But I think the Brit is going to... Mark Ronson (probably). Mika has a lot of fans, and sings his own stuff which is obviously an advantage, but Timbaland and Kanye West's nominations in the international equivalent of this category probably means the Brits are as taken by the expanded role of the Producer as the rest of the world.
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
If I had a vote it would go to... BAT FOR LASHES! Excellent album. Creative genius.
But I think the Brit is going to... Leona Lewis, since her single and album broke records this year, and she seems to have risen above the reality tag. Good for her but I'm not sure the material she's put out so far beats any of her competitors this year, who all had pretty stellar albums, perhaps with the exception of Kate Nash, who had a killer single.
British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Editors
Take That
If I had a vote it would go to... Girls Aloud (!), who have waited too long for this nomination, and put out my favourite album of the year last year.
But I think the Brit is going to... Take That. Everyone loves a comeback. Although if they feel guilty enough about snubbing Girls Aloud for the past four years, who knows? I have to say, with the amount of talent in this country I'm pretty disappointed with these nominees. Editors? Kaiser Chiefs? Take That? Boring.
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Mark Ronson - Version
Take That - Beautiful World
If I had a vote it would go to... Mark Ronson, in a bit of a meh category. I think his album feels a lot fresher than the Monkey's effort, which didn't vary enough from their mind-blowing first for my liking. Leona Lewis' first two singles are good but I've heard the album is littered with ballads. Not good.
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
Klaxons
Leona Lewis
Mika
If I had a vote it would go to... Bat. For. Lashes. I do have a lot of time for the Klaxons though, and I'm glad they're there.
Kaiser Chiefs
Take That
If I had a vote it would go to... Klaxons. I like their sound, and they've been bursting with energy any time I've seen them perform on TV.
British Single
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Mika - Grace Kelly
Take That - Shine
Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Kate Nash - Foundations
The Hoosiers - Worried About Ray
James Blunt - 1973
Mutya Buena - Real Girl
If I had a vote it would go to... Kate Nash. 'Foundations' is SO original and lyrically brilliant. She doesn't carry it off half bad either. Gotta have a lil' bitch about two of these songs in particular. 'Ruby', which completely gets on my tits, and '1973', which is the type of song your Grandad thinks IS from 1973, until you tell him that that's just how James Blunt exercises his pedestrian artistry.
International Male Solo Artist
Bruce Springsteen
If I had a vote it would go to... Timbaland. Three excellent songs, and probably another coming up with Madge (we hope!). I don't enough about Wainwright and I'm not a Kanye fan.
Alicia Keys
Bjork
Feist
Kylie Minogue
Rihanna
If I had a vote it would go to... Rihanna. I adore Bjork with all my heart, but major tunes have been coming from Rihanna in the last two years.
International Group
Arcade Fire
Foo Fighters
If I had a vote it would go to... Arcade Fire. Nothing else need be spoken.
International Album
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Kylie Minogue – X
If I had a vote it would go to... Arcade Fire - Neon Bible. I recently bought this and was blown AWAY. I could listen to 'Black Mirror' all day.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Oscars! Final Predictions [Sound Stuff]
“Atonement”
“The Kite Runner”
“Michael Clayton”
“Ratatouille”
“3:10 to Yuma”
Should Win: Marianelli's beyond-gorgeous Atonement composition works so well with the different phases of the story. I think it's a lot better than the other nominees, which says a lot considering I like all of the scores here -- even The Kite Runner, which I otherwise detested.
Will Win: Atonement. Besides that epics are known for their sweeping score the film has five tech nominations, more than any of the others in the category. And Marianelli is enough of a name.
Original Song
“Falling Slowly” from “Once”
“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted”
“Raise It Up” from “August Rush”
“So Close” from “Enchanted”
“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”
Should Win: I'm very attached to 'That's How You Know' but even though I haven't yet managed to see 'Once', Falling Slowly is enough to ensure that I do.
Will Win: Last year we saw 'Dreamgirls' lose in this category despite hogging three of the nominations. Similarly, 'Enchanted' has a major presence here, but I'm not sure whether any of its songs are strong enough to prevent vote splitting. The cult 'Once' fans could well have their say. I predict Falling Slowly will take this award.
“No Country for Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“3:10 to Yuma”
“Transformers”
Should Win: That 'No Country For Old Men' feels atmospheric and spine-tingling with potential danger, whether it's focusing on a desert, or a shotgun, or both, is testament to the excellent starkness of its audio arrangement. I've yet to see Bourne.
Will Win: With four of the five here transferring to the sound editing category it's likely that in this category, probably the more highly regarded of the two, and with an absence of any musicals, they'll reward their favourite film, which with a hefty eight nominations has to be 'No Country For Old Men'.
Sound Editing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“No Country for Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“There Will Be Blood”
“Transformers”
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Take Me Off Your Mailing List
Oscars! Final Predictions [Documentary, Animated & Shorts]
“No End in Sight”
“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience”
“Sicko”
“Taxi to the Dark Side”
“War/Dance”
Should Win: My devotion to film should mean I see more documentaries. Shamefully, the only one of these I've seen is Sicko, but only because it's the only one of these five playing remotely near me. I'm a deprived Northerner. Haha.
Will Win: 'No End In Sight' has been winning most of the critics prizes, and if the ceremony had taken place a month ago I'd say the film was the frontrunner. Now I'm not so sure. 'Sicko' certainly has the commercial pull, and Moore has great history with AMPAS, but I'm not sure there is as much admiration for, or interest in this film, as there was for his previous documentaries. And we know by Born Into Brothels' 2004 victory over 'Super Size Me' that profile doesn't play much of a part in this particular category.
"Ratatouille"
"Surf's Up"
“Freeheld”
“La Corona (The Crown)”
“Salim Baba”
“Sari’s Mother”
Should Win: Beats me. La Corona looks like it kicks ass.
Will Win: 'Sari's Mother' has the AIDS card. 'Freeheld' has the dying lesbian policewoman card. Freeheld has won more, so I'm picking it.
“Il Supplente (The Substitute)”
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)”
“Tanghi Argentini”
“The Tonto Woman”
Should Win: Whoever thought of the name The Mozart of Pickpockets needs serious recognition.
Will Win: 'At Night' is about cancer, so maybe. I'm inclined to choose Tanghi Argentini actually. It seems very popular, and already has a lot of awards.
“I Met the Walrus”
“Madame Tutli-Putli”
“Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)”
“My Love (Moya Lyubov)”
“Peter & the Wolf”
Should Win: ModFab has an excellent analysis of this category, where you can view all of the nominees! I thought 'Even Pigeons Go To Heaven' was lovely and funny, but the animation in Madame Tutli-Putli is stunning, and I found the entire thing beautiful. My fave.
Will Win: As artistic and significant as 'My Love' feels, I think they could go for the endearing gem, Even Pigeons Go To Heaven. Just a hunch.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hottest Act: Bat For Lashes
Grieving, Differently
Hallam's dead mother forms the basis of our initial impression of him. This guy has baggage. We're not sure of him. He's not sure of himself. But for a story that, on the bare bones of things, is a familiar evolution of a lost boy and his search for closure, Hallam Foe sails past any ocular buoys with fresh characterisation and interesting ideas about relationships. It treats Hallam as an adolescent adapting to the wild: eager, brave, rash, naive, emotionally cautious and growingly individual. His relationship with lookalike Kate (Sophia Myles) indicative of this, his initial decision to focus on her a result of maternal longing, only to have this altered drastically as her sexuality and failure to commit becomes an immediate opposition to this.
Monday, February 11, 2008
BAFTA Winners
Anthony Hopkins
Barry Wilkinson
Best film
Atonement (Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster)
Best British film
This is England (Mark Herbert/Shane Meadows)
The Carl Foreman award for special achievement
Matt Greenhalgh (Writer) Control
Director
No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen/Ethan Coen)
Original screenplay
Juno (Diablo Cody)
Adapted screenplay
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Ronald Harwood)
Film not in the English language
The Lives of Others (Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann/Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Animated film
Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
Leading actor
Leading actress
Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose)
Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Supporting actress
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
Music
La Vie en Rose (Christopher Gunning)
Cinematography
No Country for Old Men (Roger Deakins)
Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum (Christopher Rouse)
Production design
Atonement (Sarah Greenwood/Katie Spencer)
Costume design
La Vie en Rose (Marit Allen)
The Bourne Ultimatum (Kirk Francis/Scott Millan/David Parker/Karen Baker Landers/Per Hallberg)
Special visual effects
The Golden Compass (Michael Fink/Bill Westenhofer/Ben Morris/Trevor Wood)
Make-up & hair
La Vie en Rose (Jan Archibald/Didier Lavergne)
Short animation
The Pearce Sisters (Jo Allen/Luis Cook)
Short film
Dog Altogether (Diarmid Scrimshaw/Paddy Considine)
The Orange rising star award (voted by the public)
Shia Laboeuf
WGA Winners
Original Screenplay: Juno
Adapted Screenplay: No Country For Old Men
Documentary Script: Taxi To The Dark Side
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Redundancy?
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Tangled Up: Linkage
Close To Love... It's easy to be when Crumb By Crumb poses the ultimate question, Who's Hotter: Dean or Bana?
Can't Speak French... And The Winner Is... hopes Oscar are talking Marion Cotillard's language come Oscar night.
Black Jacks... Boy on Film pays homage to La Dahlia Noir's interesting femme fatale, Hilary Swank.
Control Of The Knife... The Cellar Door wants to know just who Zac Efron would like in possession of his penetrative weapon.
Fling... In The Mood For Blog's fanboyish tendencies towards Liv Ullman have hit newfound heights.
What You Crying For?... Goatdog lists six legitimate reasons.
I'm Falling... In love with next year's exciting (at least on paper) Actress race, detailed by The Glorious Diatribe.
Damn... Cary Grant never got that Oscar. And didn't even get nominated for Arsenic and Old Lace, my favourite comedic performance of all time. Edward Copeland On Film has received similar complaints.
Crocodile Tears... Strange Culture isn't happy with 80's cinema, or at least of the non-quirky variety. I say Clue and the music scene gave the decade enough genius.