The Oscar Invasion

Oscar could be invaded this year. I'm not talking about the clutch of villains in the Best Actor category, nor am I talking about the flurry of youth in the Best Actress category. I'm talking about this...

Yes, Oscar's makeup shortlist was announced today, and unbelievably, YES, Norbit is on this list. Here it is:

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

“La Vie en Rose”

“Norbit”

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

“300”

I could take Click's nomination last year but this would be horrendous. I don't care if the makeup is decent. It's a grotesque film. What next? Uwe Boll getting nominated for Director? Jessica Alba nominated for Best Actress? Argh.

Kansas City Critics Circle {Winners}

There Will Be Blood might have made the Academy shortlist having emerged at a good time. I still can't decide. Final Oscar Predictions after the DGA, which I will predict soon...

Best Movie: There Will Be Blood
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson-There Will Be Blood and Julian Schnabel-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (tie)
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis-There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard-La Vie en Rose
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody-Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen-No Country for Old Men
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best Documentary: In the Shadow of the Moon
Best Foreign Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Outstanding Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

National Society of Film Critics {Winners}

Having now won the LAFCA and NSFC, 'There Will Be Blood' looks strong, but I can't help but think that it's still too heavy for this year. Especially when the evident frontrunner is the Coen brothers' violent 'No Country For Old Men'. Argh, this Picture race is fucked up.

BEST PICTURE
1. There Will Be Blood (48) – Paul Thomas Anderson [Paramount Vantage]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (28) – Julian Schnabel
3. No Country for Old Men (27) – Joel and Ethan Coen

BEST DIRECTOR
1, Paul Thomas Anderson (47) – There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vintage]
2. Joel and Ethan Coen (29) – No Country for Old Men
2. Julian Schnabel (29) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST ACTOR
1.Daniel Day-Lewis (66) – There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vantage]
2. Frank Langella (34) -- Starting Out in the Evening
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (21) -- The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

BEST ACTRESS
1. Julie Christie (53) – Away from Her [Lionsgate]
2. Marion Cotillard (50) – La Vie en Rose
3. Anamaria Marinca (28) – 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Casey Affleck (37) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [Warner Bros.]
2. Javier Bardem (30) – No Country for Old Men
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (29) – Charlie Wilson’s War

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Cate Blanchett (42) – I’m Not There [The Weinstein Company]
2. Amy Ryan (29) – Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3. Tilda Swinton (23) – Michael Clayton

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Tamara Jenkins (28) – The Savages [Fox Searchlight]
2. Paul Thomas Anderson (19) – There Will Be Blood
3. Ronald Harwood (17) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. There Will Be Blood (51) – Robert Elswit
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (40) – Janusz Kaminski
3. No Country for Old Men (33) – Roger Deakins

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (57) – Cristian Mungiu [IFC]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (42) – Julian Schnabel
3. Persepolis (18) – Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. No End in Sight (43) – Charles Ferguson [Magnolia]
2. Sicko (20) – Michael Moore
3. Terror’s Advocate (18) – Barbet Schroeder

Supporting Actress Blogathon: Eva Mendes in We Own The Night

This is a part of StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Blogathon. Last year I wrote about Vera Farmiga in Running Scared, which is now my favourite performance of last year. I'm not sure this post will have quite the same effect, but it's people like Eva Mendes who need to be raved about, and I'm gonna be the one to do it.

As We Own the Night opens to the iconic pounding bass of Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' the picture is clear. The swanky-surfaced party era of a thriving New York club scene, full of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. The former of these familiar taboos occurs but a scene into the film, with a sprawled Eva Mendes showing more than a little nipple -- and what lovely nipples they are too, even if I'm not inclined that way (well, they didn't intimidate me) -- in a raunchy scene with boyfriend and club owner Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix). Mendes' character, Amada Juarez, instantly feels dependent; not just upon sex and affection, but money and power. She looks every inch the trophy wife, if a little more reserved and unsure of herself than past trophy wives of cinema (I'm thinking Sharon Stone in Casino), though much of that derives from that she's a Puerto Rican ethnic minority, which even in the 80's must have brought with it a degree of caution.

Much has been said about the familiar, baity wronged wife role, complete with teary scenes and admirable values, usually regarding loyalty and family. Amada is loyal, no doubt, but you can see her inner struggle between trophy wife and homegirl. Although Phoenix is more the pretender than the showman she finds herself lodged in circles and situations that feel visibly alien to her. Most notably when she attends a gathering with Bobby's brother and father -- an awkward exchange. Most films are keen to integrate their 'wronged woman' in a way of getting at their precious leading man, and his moral arc. Mendes has more than one opportunity to play her character this way, and, though she can vent her wrath with the best of them, never shies away from her own fragmented mess.

At one point in the film she defies her boyfriends' wishes, leaving her safe retreat to pay a precious visit to her mother. In some ways she is blessed, because the film seems keen to give her some individuality, but amidst an airstrike of family politics and exhilarating detective chase she still embeds herself in your mind as the true dilemna of the film. The outsider looking into a world she knows little about. Considering how much she feels like a limpet on Phoenix's stolid shell in the first part of the film her motivation and independence in the second half feels like a revelation. It's a tall ask to match such players as Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, but for what this performance is, it may just be the film's truest.

35 Films In 49 Days?

These are the 35 films I would really like to see before I make my final 2007 Awards in roughly seven weeks:

**Updated: Films in red are the ones I successfully managed to see**

3:10 To Yuma
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Across The Universe
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Bridge To Terabithia
The Bucket List
Bug
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Flight of the Red Balloon
Hairspray
Hallam Foe
I Don't Want To Sleep Alone
In The Valley Of Elah
Interview
Juno
The Kite Runner
La Vie En Rose
Lady Chatterley (2006)
Lust, Caution
My Blueberry Nights
No Country For Old Men
Once
Paranoid Park
The Savages
Sicko
The Singer
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Things We Lost In The Fire
Transformers
Two Days In Paris
Yella
Youth Without Youth

Online Film Critics Society {Nominations}

PICTURE

Atonement
Juno
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
David Cronenberg - Eastern Promises
David Fincher - Zodiac
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

ACTOR

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

ACTRESS

Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Laura Linney - The Savages
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
Jennifer Garner - Juno
Kelly MacDonald - No Country for Old Men
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
Eastern Promises
Juno
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

CINEMATOGRAPHY

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

EDITING

Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

SCORE

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
Into the Wild
Once
There Will Be Blood

DOCUMENTARY

In the Shadow of the Moon
Into Great Silence
King of Kong, The
No End in Sight
Sicko

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM (NON-ENGLISH)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Host
La Vie En Rose
Lives of Others
The Orphanage

ANIMATED FEATURE

Beowulf
Paprika
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER

Ben Affleck - Gone Baby Gone
Juan Antonio Bayona - The Orphanage
John Carney - Once
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Sarah Polley - Away From Her

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER

Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Glen Hansard - Once
Sam Riley - Control
Carice Van Houten - Black Book
Tang Wei - Lust, Caution

Hottest Track: Madonna - 4 Minutes To Save The World

Even though all that's been released so far is an instrumental version, people (including ME) are aching for Madonna's new song, Four Minutes to Save the World, featuring Justin Timberlake and produced by none other than Timbaland. Here it is

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 ;-)

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

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

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.

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]

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!

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.

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)

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

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"

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)