This Monday....

Remember, 2/2/09 marks the beginning of Casting Coup Month!

Fifteen movies. Six decades. One (possibly misguided) recasting of a classic after another.

This week:

MONDAY: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
TUESDAY: It Happened One Night
WEDNESDAY: Swing Time
THURSDAY: The Picture of Dorian Gray
FRIDAY: The Lost Weekend

Live-blogging the SAGS

PART SEVEN
BEST ACTRESS

Ralph Fiennes, also snubbed, in favor of Dev Patel (WHAT??). Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married (odd clip to smile at); Angelina Jolie, Changeling; Melissa Leo, Frozen River; Meryl Streep, Doubt (my least favorite moment); Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road. Kate will win. I think. Or Anne. I think Kate.
MERYL WINS, JUST AS SHOCKED!!! AND EXCITED!!! I love Meryl, she gets a standing ovation, she smooched Ralph, she is awesome, no regrets, take it, she is amazing. I love you! And she's in slacks, and made an awards joke, and it's amazing! Meryl is the creme de la creme. Should I have nominated her? She gives the best speeches, doesn't she? Shout-out for Viola = awesome. Alice Drummond, too. Got, what a classy broad!

BEST ACTOR

Can they move those teleprompters further up, please? Richard Jenkins, The Visitor; Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon; Sean Penn, Milk; Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Mickey Rooney, The Wrestler. Everyone says Penn or Rourke. Probs. But I think Langella will get the Ruby Dee win. Not that that happens every year, but.
Sean Penn gets it. Okay, egg on my face. Standing ovation, too. He must be getting the Oscar! Dammit, keep politics DAMMIT YOU MAKE ME ANGRY SOMETIMES. Packages -- tee-hee. Good stuff, but did he just call TV actors idiots for the dog-fights? For how competitive it is? Is that what he's saying? Because....okay, weird. Maybe he means journalists?

BEST ENSEMBLE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire
Will Slumdog get it? I say Milk. Ensemble-wise, it's better. Nope, Slumdog. Okay. Whatev. Great film, it really is. But F/N and Milk had a stronger ensemble. Anil Kapoor is speaking, and is overwhelmed. This is a great moment, truly. Oh, now Freida. Whatever. PUT ANIL BACK!

PART SIX
Kristin Scott Thomas was snubbed, but she's doing it classy.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin, Milk; Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder (still thrilled about this); Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt (weak scene); Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight (winner); Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire (happy just to be here). Heath will win. That is definite. Come on!
AND IT'S TRUE! AND THEY'RE LETTING GARY OLDMAN ACCEPT! Touching, emotional moment. Gary, I hope this isn't the closest you get.
I didn't know so many actors needed glasses. Why not wear them? Taraji P. Henson is beautiful. Why do they get a trailer, and everyone else gets full scenes? I love that Benjamin Button score to death. Oh, commercial again. Already. Ok.

PART FIVE
Hey, Ernest Borgnine! What doe she do now, anyway? I like that he's actually presenting, and not doing a tribute to himself like Mickey Rooney last year.

BEST ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE/MINISERIES

Laura Dern, Recount (great, and so sexy); Laura Linney, John Adams (your winner, and so sexy); Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel (I wanna see it, she's still sexy); Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun (wanna see this, too); Susan Sarandon, Bernard & Doris (LORD LOOK AT HER TITS! AT LEAST WEAR A COAT). Laura gets it. Come on.
I would believe Laura Linney, Ernie. I would. This is really her first SAG Award? I'd think they would love her, at least. *Sigh* Maybe I just don't get awards ceremonies. She's engaged? DAMMIT! At least Drew's still available, right? Whoa, she has family in Georgia? So she's...Southern? Oh, Laura, could you be any more perfect?
Now that's over...AMY ADAMS AND VIOLA DAVIS! YAY! Is it me, or does Viola look better than Amy tonight? And I love Amy, so it can't be me, because I'm naturally biased. Good scene from Doubt, though. Have i been too hard on it? Nah, that can't be.

BEST ACTOR IN A TV MOVIE/MINISERIES

Ralph Fiennes, Bernard & Doris (what a great year he's having); Paul Giamatti, John Adams (oh, please, he will win); Kevin Spacey, Recount (i would probs choose him); Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption (I didn't know that already happened...?); Tom Wilkinson, John Adams (why don't they have a supporting actor category for TV?). Paul gets it, come on. And he does, so Marisa Tomei, presenter, accepts on his behalf. At least she gets to hold one.

SUSAN SARANDON

Titties, titties, titties. I love the way her voice purrs. But now I hear that it's the In Memoriam part of the show, so now I feel like a pig.
Charlton Heston, you will be sorely missed. Harvey Korman--worthy clips. Paul Scofield did not the applause Harvey got. Interesting. Cyd Charisse gets most so far, and I agree with that. NO, ROBERT PROSKY DIED?? I love him. Paul Benedict, too? I have to type so I don't cry. Sydney Pollack....still hurts... Isaac Hayes. Ricardo Montalban, such a loss. Bernie Mac, too soon. Too many. ESTELLE GETTY IN A GOLDEN GIRLS CLIP. YOU ARE SORELY MISSED!!! Eartha Kitt, who I was always told was immortal, so now Virginia's a liar. And finishing with the beautiful (in looks and talent) Paul Newman. Geez. So many I didn't even write here. Geez. This was sad.

PART FOUR
I think my blog clock is on West Coast time. Hm.
Laura Dern is so pretty. I think she's a lovely, lovely woman, and her Katharine Harris was totally bangable.
God, Forest Whitaker bothers me! He always looks like he's about to cry. He always sounds like he's about to cry. Couldn't Morgan Freeman have done this? He's got a great voice, too.

Ooh, James Earl Jones. I love his Mufasa best. Yes, it's true. Even over Darth Vader. Why do all great voice actors have some sort of speech deficiency? Jones stuttered? Crazy! I feel like he could be king of the world if he wanted to. I always forget he's an Oscar nominee. I'm sure he'll get an honorary one in three years. Just wait. Oh, black presidents: James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, Barack Obama. That's a great history. God, I love this man.
I love how he tries to calm them down. "Okay. I got something to say here. HAHA! All right. Thank you. Okay." Excellent. And saying "my beloved Richard Harris" is...sigh. Heartwarming. And quoting the Bible now, breathing life into the character = God breathing life into Adam. Love it. Nice tribute to Paul Newman. Not too long, and very eloquent. Love it.

PART THREE
Taye Diggs is fantastic in a bow-tie. Christina Applegate is fabulous.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Michael C. Hall, Dexter (only saw first two eps, thought eh was great); Jon Hamm, Mad Men (he's pretty manly, right?), Hugh Laurie, House (he reminds me of my girlfriend's dad); William Shatner, Boston Legal; James Spader, Boston Legal (I don't watch it). Jon Hamm will win. It's in the stars.
I should stop saying things like that. Hugh Laurie just got it--again! Christina Hendricks does not look pleased--but she does look sexy. Laurie's hilarious--"I had a hundred dollars on James Spader. It's just not my night." I hope he and Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson do something together again. But what in the world could they do? YES--he thanked craft services! Thank you!

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

I hope one day, I'm as charmingly lovable as John Krasinski. This is awesome. Is this supposed to be Revolutionary Road? Can they win for this?
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters (I don't watch it, but she just said penis, and that's hot); Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (...that was uncomfortable); Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (God, she's sexy); Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men); Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer. Kyra or Moss? Or Sally? I say Kyra, just cuz.
See, this is why I don't predict TV usually. Sally Field must be happy to finally get one after...six times??? Oh, Lord, she's talking. A lot. I know it's her moment, I shouldn't be like this. But God, two Oscars and an Emmy later, and she still just blathers on and on. No, why should I be grumpy? Let her be happy, Walter. Let her be happy.
Anyway, now Emile Hirsch, James Franco, and Josh Brolin are on, clearly representing the sexy contingent. Brolin looks like Pierce Brosnan, doesn't he? And James just can't stop doing that grin. Thank goodness. Interesting scene to choose for Milk.

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

Emily Blunt is so sexy-hot. They're really digging into the Drama Series this year. Wow. Boston Legal (comedy clip, of course), The Closer (another light clip), Dexter (Jimmy Smits!), House, Mad Men. I'm pretty sure Mad Men's getting it. But I was wrong before in these TV categories. In fact, all but two comedy ones. So.
OH, I'M RIGHT! YES! This show has a great score, great costume, great production design. I need to see more of it. Amanda loves it. Jon Hamm looks odd with non-60s hair. Makes me uncomfortable. Jeez, Christina Hendricks is fucking sexy.

PART TWO
It is eight twenty-one, and Evan Rachel Wood just came on. Susan Sarandon was just interrupted from talking to Ralph Fiennes. This better be good. AND WHOA, ERW LOOKS GREAT!
Oh, it's for Trailblazers. Because we all need a reminder. Nice cut between Sidney Poitier and Rita Moreno. Yeah, Hairspray! But as a trailblazer? Do they just mean John Travolta? LOLITA! MAUDE! EDITH! Okay, this was a good montage, albeit bizarre.
Ladies and gentlemen, remember her? Claire Danes? Kinda?

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock (tee-hee Alec), Desperate Houewives (Nicolette Sheridan looks HORRIFYING!), Entourage (lord I hope the show's funnier than that), The Office (oh, Phyllis), Weeds (is...is that a condom? nice)
30 Rock, I know it! And I'm right! Nothing's stopping it! Nothing! And I say that because it just won in all three of its nominations. So.
Jane Krakowski has great tits. And everything else. And her ensemble is marvelous. Ooh, and what an interesting comment about Ally McBeal. Weird.
Frankie and Mikey! I hope they get a sitcom! When Michael Sheen gets old, I think he'll be one of teeth-clenchers. My favorite clip from Frost/Nixon, though. Excellent.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

I never know how I feel about Greg Kinnear. I do hate As Good As It Gets.
Ooh, the first award ever went to Dianne Wiest for Bullets Over Boradway? This sits well for Penelope Cruz. Amy Adams, Doubt (My favorite); Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (I LOVE YOU, WOODY ALLEN); Viola davis, Doubt (wow, this really is a strong lineup); Taraji P. Henson, The Curious case of Benjamin Button (i hope, one day, she finally gets hers--good way); Kate Winslet, The Reader. Penelope gets it. I know it. I can feel it. It's gonna happen!
Nope, I'm wrong. Kate's got it. Maybe she'll win both categories. Don't think the Weinsteins, they screwed Daldry over. The film's a mess because of them. Well, I guess she got the award, so she can't complain, right? She was great in it, though. I'm glad Oscar nominated that and not Revolutionary Road.

PART ONE

It is eight o'clock.
Why does America Ferrera get a special mention for how beautiful she is? What about how beautiful Kevin bacon is?
Kate Winslet looks gorgeous.
Oh, Amy Adams. in Purple. I need you.
Laura Linney looking more beautiful than usual. Like, seriously beautiful. I kind of want to marry her.
I love the "I'm an actor" tributes. And holy crap, there's Victor "Mr. Andrews" Garber! I know he's done more, and better, but I'll always love him in Titanic. SHUT UP I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!
AHHHHH! JENNA FISCHER! NUMBER THREE ON MY TOP TEN CRUSHES! SHE LOOKS GORGEOUS!
Best: Tom Cavanagh and Steve Carell, with Will Arnett as an honorable mention.
Ugh, Rosario. I cannot stand her.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

I don't watch a lot of these. There's Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds--someone woo'd in the audience), Tracey Ullman (Tracey Ullman's State of the Union). I'm going with Tracey on this one. Come on....
Nope. Tina Fey. I don't watch any of these shows. I think I've seen one episode of 30 Rock, and one of Weeds. Oh, no, three from 30 Rock. Good job, I love her. Nice shout-out to Tracey Ullman. My roommate's gonna marry her.
Dev Patel. I like his Indian accent better. Why do they keep showing this clip? It's kind of a big spoiler.
Jon Hamm looks like Josh Brolin a little. Right? How uncomfortable is this?

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Steve Carell, The Office (Great clip); David Duchovny, Californiacation; Jeremy Piven, Entourage (I don't watch the show, but he annoys me); Tony Shalhoub, Monk. Alec gets it....And I'm right!
KEVIN BACON WEARING SHADES OMG!
Roomie just asked if the SAG Award is made of chocolate. If it is, I am registering immediately, on the off-chance that I will get one. But it must feel so sticky when you hold it. OMG do you think that's what actors give out at Easter?!
And...commercial.

SAG PREDIX

People, people, people, surely we must all realize that this is a crazy year. The Best Picture frontrunner is not the Ensemble frontrunner. The actors match five-for-five, but the supporting actresses have a huge difference that effects the actresses, and the supporting actors....well, actually, it's business as usual, isn't it?

But, the show must go on. And it will. So, I must give you my SAG predictions.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

RUN-DOWN: Okay, so, the challenge here is with Kate Winslet. Will she win in supporting, leading, both, or neither? I can't see her winning neither, nor do I see her getting both. Just because they might want to spread the love. But I don't think she gets it here. I say Penelope Cruz gets it here.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

RUN-DOWN: At this point, I don't think there can be any other. Heath wins, music swells, standing ovation and tears.

ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

RUN-DOWN: The leaders of the pack thus far have been Penn and Rourke. Both give great performances, with Rourke in a comeback role and Penn smiling. It's kind of a big deal. But I see a Ruby Dee scenario, where they say, "Thanks for all your hard work!" Langella wins.

ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

RUN-DOWN: And this is where Kate wins. They may love the others, but Meryl has enough, Angie's is just ass-kissing, Melissa's honored by the nom, and Anne's not Kate Winslet. That's what I say.

Oscar Noms -- Cont'd

I was up bright and early to watch them live, and my what a shock! Some people are calling this "dull", but you gotta admit, no one saw this coming. There were surprises in nearly every category.

First of all, there was the surprise domination of The Reader, a film which no one expected to get much besides Supporting Actress for Kate Winslet, and maybe Adapted Screenplay. In fact, yesterday, I told someone I expected Revolutionary Road to get in over The Dark Knight, and we all saw Kate getting double-nom'd. Then, lo and behold, the Academy decided "To FUCK with category fraud!!!" And, because they don't have to follow everything the studios ask them to consider, they nominated Kate in lead Actress -- for The Reader. And while many were predicting a 5/5 match-up for Picture and Director, you can bet no one was expecting Stephen Daldry and The Reader to be that fifth slot.

This is particularly upsetting because, on occasion, I like the feeling of having seen every film nominated for Best Picture. And while it's not too late, I always hate feeling proud of myself, only to be shocked by a movie that I could have seen the night before if THE SCHEDULE WASN'T ALWAYS CHANGING. I mean, it's exciting, and I can't wait to see it, because I love all of Daldry's films, but oh, I wish The Dark Knight could have snuck in.

Best Actress made me feel schizo. Yesterday, I told Ben Melissa Leo and Kristin Scott Thomas would never get the nom, I've been saying it all year, this is a pipe dream. So, imagine how thrilled I was when Hollmann Award Nominee Melissa Leo wound up getting a surprise nomination for Frozen River!!! The only downside, of course, is that it meant one actress I was sure would get a slot was left out on the cold -- Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky. Obviously, I think her work is superior to Angelina Jolie's in Changeling, or even (gasp!) Queen Meryl in Doubt. This was just so...disappointing. I hope The Reader rocks my socks, because if it's another disappointing Kate performance instead of Saly Hawkins' greatness....no. No, Walter, don't get angry yet. Daldry is King.

No real surprises in Best Actor. Hollmann Award Nominees Sean Penn (Milk) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) got in, Brad Pitt got in for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon. And even Richard Jenkins in The Visitor wasn't a huge shock, but it was pleasant nonetheless. For Jenkins, I mean. I like ot think it's just as much for Step Brothers.

Original Song is a travesty. "Down to Earth" from WALL-E, and "Jaiho" and "O...Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire. That's it. Nothing for "The Wrestler". At all. Which is stupid, because that song is amazing. Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder should form a support group. The Dark Knight was shafted in Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. You know, going by Academy history, I can understand the first two, maybe three. But Score? You gotta be kidding me. Defiance's better be fucking epic and memorable, and not like every other Slavic-set film. You know what I mean.

The Supporting Categories were huge loads of fun. Michael Shannon got recognition for his work in Revolutionary Road. Ho-hum. I was hoping for a shut-out, but alas, I have no say in these matters. I mean, he's good, but he's not better than Ralph Fiennes, Brad Pitt, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich, Gary Oldman, etc., etc., etc. Besides, he can do this kind of thing in his sleep (Bug, anyone?). I'm fine with Brolin, Hoffman and Ledger, and I'm still thrilled to death that they nominated Downey's work in Tropic Thunder. Awesome. As for the female equivalent, AMY ADAMS got the nom. Suck it.

Adapted Screenplay was as it's been. Now I can officially say, Academy Award-nominated FSU alum Robin Swicord, which is AMAZING. She got the nom alongside Eric Roth for Benjamin Button, with fellow nominees being Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog, David Hare for The Reader, John Patrick Shanley for Doubt, and Peter Morgan for Frost/Nixon. Also, freekin' love the support for In Bruges and Martin McDonagh, who appeared alongside Dustin Lance Black (Milk), Courtney Hunt (Frozen River) and Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon (WALL-E). Also, it was only here that Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky could get any love. Oh, well.

It's really not that bad. Some surprises, some letdowns, some great Christmas presents. Except for Sally and Springsteen, I have no true beef with this. This should make for an interesting broadcast.

Now, will Hugh Jackman please perform each Best Picture nominee as a musical number? His Nixon must be awesome to behold.

OSCAR NOMS!!!

PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk

ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Doubt
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

reactions later. class now.

The Hollmann Award Nominations!

Burt Reynolds here. And I want to take this time to talk to you about a very new development here at the Hollmann Awards. It’s called the technical awards. For the first time ever, six additional technical categories are allowing for a wider recognition of this year’s achievements in film. Of course, the sweeping epic I took part in, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, isn’t eligible for anything. Maybe next year, right? Please? Dear God, I haven’t had a hit in years. Fucking Robin Williams…

The nominees for Best Visual Effects:
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
Speed Racer

The nominees for Best Art Direction:
City of Ember: Donald Graham Burt, Production Design; Victor J. Zolfo, Set Decoration
The Forbidden Kingdom: Bill Brzesk, Production Design; Bin Lan/Yu Ci Wen, Set Decoration
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Stephen Scott, Production Design; Elli Griff/Zsuzsa Mihalek, Set Decoration
Speed Racer: Owen Paterson, Production Design; Peter Walpole, Set Decoration
Synecdoche, NY: Mark Friedberg, Production Design; Lydia Marks, Set Decoration

The nominees for Best Hair & Make-Up:
Rick Baker/Michael Burke, Tropic Thunder
Judy Chin/Jerry DeCarlo, Synecdoche, New York
Mike Elizaldi, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Mark Garbarino, The Forbidden Kingdom
Mark Jacyszyn/Harvey Lowry/Todd Tucker/Brian Sipe, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Costume Design:
Kym Barrett, Speed Racer
Shirley Chan, The Forbidden Kingdom
Eiko Ishioka, The Fall
Michael O'Connor, The Duchess
Amy Westcott, The Wrestler

The nominees for Best Sound:
Cloverfield
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E

The nominees for Best Editing:
Kirk Baxter/Angus Wall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Jon Gregory, In Bruges
Dan Lebenthal, Iron Man
John Ottman, Valkyrie
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight

The nominees for Best Cinematography:
Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
Harris Savides, Milk
Uli Simon, JCVD
Looks like a great show. And now, the face of the Hollmann Awards, Philip Baker Hall!



Jesus fuck, he’s never gonna let me go, is he? You host once, and suddenly you’re committed for life. Hopefully, it won’t be that long. So, goddamn it, the Big Ten.


The nominees for Best Original Song:
"Boats 'n' Hoes" - music and lyrics by Dale Doback & Brendan Huff, Step Brothers
"Jai Ho" - music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar, Slumdog Millionaire
“Little Person” – music by Jon Brion, lyrics by Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
"Pineapple Express" - music and lyrics by Johnny Colla & David Fredericks & Huey Lewis, Pineapple Express
"The Wrestler" - music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler

The nominees for Best Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Michael Giacchino, Speed Racer
Dickon Hinchliffe, Married Life
James Newton Howard/Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight
Rachel Portman, The Duchess

The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay:
Jeffrey Archer/Saul Dibb/Anders Thomas Jensen, The Duchess
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan, The Dark Knight
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Original Screenplay:
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, NY
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor:
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
John Malkovich, Burn After Reading
Bill Nighy, Valkyrie
Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, NY
Susan Sarandon, Speed Racer
Tilda Swinton, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Actor:
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, NY
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Jean-Claude Van Damme, JCVD

The nominees for Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Frances McDormand, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

The nominees for Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mabrouk El Mechri, JCVD
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Andy Wachowski/Larry Wachowski, Speed Racer

The nominees for Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, produced by Cean Chaffin/Kathleen Kennedy/Frank Marshall
The Dark Knight, produced by Christopher Nolan/Charles Roven/Emma Thomas
Speed Racer, produced by Grant Hill/Joel Silver/Andy Wachowski/Lana Wachowski
Synecdoche, NY, produced by Anthony Bregman/Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman/Sidney Kimmel
The Wrestler, produced by Darren Aronofsky/Scott Franklin

What a fucking treat. And now, this year's host, Betty White.




Now it's Rose's time to shine! See you in February, fleshbags!

[UPDATED: Producers nominated for Best Picture, as of 1/13/2017] 

The Shortlists

Is the suspense killing you? Can't wait until tomorrow to see if your favorites were dropped or kept in the running? Fret no more, for this is the point of the shortlist!

You won't see all categories here. Just Picture, Director, the Acting Categories, the Screenplay Categories and Original Song.

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BEST PICTURE

Burn After Reading
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Elegy
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Iron Man
JCVD
Married Life
Milk
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Pineapple Express
Rachel Getting Married
Son of Rambow
Speed Racer
Step Brothers
Synecdoche, NY
Valkyrie
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
W.
The Wrestler
 

BEST DIRECTOR


Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Etan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Mabrouk El Machri, JCVD
Jon Favreau, Iron Man
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Gordon Greene, Pineapple Express
Alex Holdridge, In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Garth Jennings, Son of Rambow
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, NY
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Matt Reeves, Cloverfield
Ira Sachs, Married Life
Bryan Singer, Valkyrie
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder
Oliver Stone, W.
Gus Van Sant, Milk




BEST ACTOR


Christian Bale, The Dark Knight
Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Josh Brolin, W.
Chris Cooper, Married Life
Tom Cruise, Valkyrie
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
Colin Firth, Then She Found Me
James Franco, Pineapple Express
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, NY
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Ben Kingsley, Elegy
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Bill Milner, Son of Rambow
Mos Def, Be Kind Rewind
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Will Poulter, Son of Rambow
John C. Reilly, Step Brothers
Sam Rockwell, Choke
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon
Jean-Claude Van Damme, JCVD



BEST ACTRESS


Amy Adams, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Elizabeth Banks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Patricia Clarkson, Married Life
Penelope Cruz, Elegy
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Helen Hunt, Then She Found Me
Scarlett Johansson, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Angelina Jolie, Wanted
Keira Knightley, The Duchess
Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Jessica Lucas, Cloverfield
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Frances McDormand, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Julianne Moore, Savage Grace
Christina Ricci, Penelope
Sara Simmonds, In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Jessica Stevenson, Son of Rambow
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Renee Zellweger, Leatherheads




BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR


Roger Allam, Speed Racer
Mathieu Amalric, Quantum of Solace
Kevin Bacon, Frost/Nixon
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Jason Flemyng, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Matthew Fox, Speed Racer
Morgan Freeman, The Dark Knight
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Danny Glover, Be Kind Rewind
John Goodman, Speed Racer
Jared Harris, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Emile Hirsch, Milk
Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married
Richard Jenkins, Burn After Reading
Richard Jenkins, Step Brothers
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
John Malkovich, Burn After Reading
Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky
Bill Nighy, Valkyrie
Tom Noonan, Synecdoche, NY
Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading




BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS


Hiam Abbass, The Visitor
Amy Adams, Doubt
Elizabeth Banks, W.
Cate Blanchett, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Ellen Burstyn, W.
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Hope Davis, Synecdoche, NY
Viola Davis, Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Shirley Henderson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anjelica Huston, Choke
Kelly Macdonald, Choke
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, NY
Catherine O'Hara, Penelope
Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man
Christina Ricci, Speed Racer
Susan Sarandon, Speed Racer
Mary Steenburgen, Step Brothers
Tilda Swinton, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Misty Upham, Frozen River
Dianne Wiest, Synecdoche, NY
Michelle Williams, Synecdoche, NY
Alexis Zegerman, Happy-Go-Lucky





ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[only ones i've read are eligible]
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Evan Goldberg/Seth Rogen, Pineapple Express
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, NY
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Tom McCarthy, The Visitor
Nick Schenck, Gran Torino
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
[only ones i've read are eligible]
Jeffrey Archer/Saul Dibb/Anders Thomas Jensen, The Duchess
Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan, The Dark Knight
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

ORIGINAL SONG
Boats 'n' Hoes, Step Brothers
Down to Earth, WALL-E
Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaire
Little Person, Synecdoche, NY
Pineapple Express, Pineapple Express
The Wrestler, The Wrestler

And that's all. Tune in tomorrow for nominees!

 

In Contention

There are really only three requirements to be nominated at the 2008 Hollmann Awards.

1) The film must have a US release in 2008
2) I have to have seen the film between Jan 1, 2008 and January 20, 2009
3) Don't suck

With that in mind, I present the following films in contention for the 2008 Hollmann Awards in 2009:

Be Kind Rewind
Burn After Reading
Changeling
Choke
City of Ember
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Diary of the Dead
Doubt
The Duchess
Elegy
The Foot Fist Way
The Forbidden Kingdom
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Happy-Go-Lucky
Hell Ride
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Horton Hears a Who!
In Bruges
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
The Incredible Hulk
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
JCVD
Leatherheads
Mamma Mia!
Married Life
Milk
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Penelope
Pineapple Express
Quantum of Solace
Rachel Getting Married
Rambo
Redbelt
Revolutionary Road
Role Models
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Savage Grace
Slumdog Millionaire
Son of Rambow
Speed Racer
Step Brothers
Synecdoche, NY
Then She Found Me
Tropic Thunder
Valkyrie
Vantage Point
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
W.
WALL-E
Wanted
The Wrestler
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
Young@Heart
Zack and Miri Make a Porno

That's a total of 59 flicks, though still pending are Bolt (which I'm watching tonight), Last Chance Harvey (which just opened here), The Reader (which is playing at the local art house) and The Visitor (which I got from Netflix).

Last year, I had 86 films in contention. Geez. What happened? Was I easier to please or something? Heavens.

Anyway, there's 59 films, with an additional four maybes, so hopefully I'll have a full 63 films to choose from. Let's find out.

The Women Take It All

My, my, what an evening I had last night. With the majority of me pals out of town and my roommate's girlfriend visiting, I was left to my own devices. So, when I wasn't catching up with The Office or attending mass (that is, watching The Golden Girls), I caught up on some actressing from earlier in the year.

THE DUCHESS

...is not bad at all. I didn't find it corny, or over-the-top, or melodramatic. It did not feel like just another costume drama, and it did not hit me over the head with its themes. No, dear reader, I loved it. I loved the hell out of it. 'Course, I also love Anne of the Thousand Days, but that has more to do with a specific adoration for Richard Burton than a general love for all things involved. Like, say, my love for The Duchess.

It is a biopic of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightley), apparently the first real Fashion Icon. And yes, the film touches on this quite a number of times, and so Michael O'Connor's luscious costume designs are appropriately impressive. But, of course, what it really focuses on is Georgiana's entrapment: marriage to the passionless Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). We also get a look at the fierce political figure she was, joining the campaign of the Whig Party (led by Simon McBurney as Charles Fox) and falling in love with an old friend, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). Oh, also, she befriends Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell) who ends up sharing her home and husband.

A brief moment of frivolity

And I adored every minute of it. Nothing was ever stated outright, none of that "WE ARE WOMEN WE HAVE NO RIGHTS" clap-trap that many films of this genre fall into. Yes, the film is full of this, but it is never (or, at least, very rarely) said out loud. It is in the Duke's treatment of Georgiana, in Georgiana's pleadings for a life with Gray, in the demands her mother (Charlotte Rampling) makes on her, in the whole idea of her being a political figure. Only once is it mentioned how many sons Bess Foster has, before the Duke takes up with her. And never once is it said that that is the reason, as Georgiana has only borne girls. Rather, the Duke gets a very human moment as we see him play father, when heretofore ignoring his daughters. Nothing is said, we just get to see it all happen.

Which is delightful. It's a very subtle piece with rich, human characters. It is hard to say the Duke is heartless; such restraints that he puts on Georgiana are natural to him, something expected of a husband, especially one of his standing. Besides, he does give her quite a bit of freedom, and if that last line doesn't absolve him, nothing will. Bess is a great friend, a horrid friend, a good mother, an odd wife, a wifely mistress. It's hard to hate her, even if one does disagree with the way she does things. Eh, but Tilda Swinton does it.

Ralph Fiennes: Rather cross, lacking Oscar

And then, of course, there's Keira Knightley, whose performance has been overshadowed by Kate Winslet's odd playacting, Angelina Jolie's unrestrained hysterics, and Meryl Streep's awesome power. But Keira's just great in this, never overplaying the feminist, never forgetting the mother or the lover or the friend. It is a role full of warmth and sadness. The confrontation between a spurned Grey and the emotionally dead Georgiana is haunting. And yes, she gets a shrill moment in the middle when confronting the Duke about his liaisons with Bess, but it is a rare occassion in which she loses it--and indeed, who wouldn't?

So, between the fine acting, subtly crafted screenplay, beautiful costumerie, and Rachel Portman's score, which I need to buy immediately, I gotta recommend The Duchess. It is a full-on, 100-percent, bona-fide great film.

FROZEN RIVER

...is also pretty good. A quiet little movie about motherhood, writer-director Courtney Hunt presents the human tale of trailer-park mom Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo), a woman who, abandoned by her husband the week before Christmas, desperate to buy a new home for her children, digging behind the couch just to give her sons lunch money, winds up smuggling illegals across the Canadian border. Also presented is the human tale of Mohawk woman Lila Littlefoot (Misty Upham), a woman who, losing her eyesight, residing in a one-room mobile home, estranged from her only son by the machinations of a bitter mother-in-law, gets Ray into smuggling illegals across the Canadian border when she claims the white woman's husband's abandoned car as her own.

I mean, shit. The shit these women deal with is unbelievable. Ray's sons, naturally, miss their daddy, with the eldest (Charlie McDermott as T.J.) constantly butting heads with her, as though she were doing nothing to help the family. (He's got some money-making schemes of his own; it's pretty funny, but also pretty fucked up). Lila, meanwhile, is just doing what she can to provide for her little boy. These aren't women who want the money for themselves, nor are they middle-aged thrill-seekers. It's all for the children, as expressed by a radio show Ray listens to early on in the film. Hunt was reportedly inspired by an article she read detailing the real-life details of these desperate women, adding an extra power to the story.

Do not fuck with her, she will fuck right back (and not the good way)

The race card pulled here never really feels forced, either. Naturally, Ray would expect the Pakistanis to be hiding explosives in their bags. Naturally, Lila would balk at working with a white woman. Naturally, T.J.'s first reaction upon learning his dad's car was on Mohawk territory would be to kick some Indian ass. God, I know people much higher in the class system that would immediately respond this way. The most important element here is rarely spoken out loud (well, except for the aforementioned radio show). Hunt's script is tight without being sparse, full without being long.

Hosting the Hollmanns

With the Hollmann Awards ahead, I feel it's time to offer you, the public, a chance to choose something. Yes, this year, you actually get a choice in how things go. Kind of.

See, what we need is a host, and while it's tempting to just go with somebody random, I'd rather it be someone we can all love and admire. At the same time, I also want it to be someone I just adore, and someone who did not have a film come out this year.

So, I'm giving you a list of options from which to choose. I've narrowed it down to ten, all women. Because I love women.

Beatrice Arthur
AKA: Dorothy Zbornak
Film credits: Mame, Lovers and Other Strangers, History of the World: Part I, That Kind of Woman
Arthur has appeared twice on the Hollmann Awards, each time introducing the trailer of a Best Picture nominee. In 2007, it was The Departed, and in 2008, it was There Will Be Blood. Last year, she openly campaigned for hosting duties.

Drew Barrymore
AKA: Mrs. Hollmann
Film credits: Donnie Darko, Batman Forever, The Wedding Singer, Everyone Says I Love You, Home Fries
Barrymore appeared last year at the Hollmann Awards, handing out the Best Original Song prize to Dewey Cox for "Let's Duet". The most beautiful woman in Hollywood has wished happy birthday to Hollmann himself, and he has the DVD to prove it. In addition to ensemble rom-com He's Just Not That Into You, Barrymore will be seen next year in HBO's Emmy-hopeful (please?) Grey Gardens, and in her directorial debut, Whip It!, starring Hollmann Award Nominee Ellen Page. She is Number One on Walter's Top Ten Celebrity Crushes.

Allison Janney
AKA: C.J. Cregg
Film credits: Juno, Hairspray, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Celebrity, The Hours
Janney appeared in both Juno and Hairspray last year, two movies which ended up getting a number of Hollmann Award Nominations. Though Janney has yet to be nominated for the Hollmann, she is Number Ten on Walter's Top Ten Celebrity Crushes.

Rue McClanahan
AKA: Blanche Devereaux
Film credits: Out to Sea, The Fighting Temptations, Hollywood After Dark, The Grass Eater, Starship Troopers
Like Arthur, McClanahan is a regular of the Hollmann Awards, having presented trailers for Children of Men in 2007 and I'm Not There in 2008, both Best Picture nominees in their respective years. Recently, she appeared on Broadway as Mme. Morrible in Wicked.

Geraldine McEwan
AKA: Miss Jane Marple
Film credits: THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, Vanity Fair, Love's Labour's Lost, Titus, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
After three seasons of Marple, McEwan has more or less retired after an accident injured her hip. She is an acclaimed actress and director who refused to become a DAME, because she's just boss like that. She has yet to appear on the Hollmann Awards.

Helen Mirren
AKA: The Queen
Film credits: Gosford Park, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, The Queen, The Prince of Egypt, Caligula
Mirren has appeared twice on the Hollmann Awards. The first time was to accept the award for Best Actress in 2007, for her acclaimed portrayal of Elizabeth II in The Queen. The second was to present Best Actor in 2008, an award which went to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. She is Number Nine on Walter's Top Ten Celebrity Crushes.

Alicia Silverstone
AKA: Batgirl
Film credits: Clueless, Love's Labour's Lost, Batman & Robin, Blast from the Past, Beauty Shop
Silverstone is greatly missed, and kind of reminds me of Cybill Sheperd in At Long Last Love. Only, you know, less annoying. She has appeared in a number of television programs recently, but none of done well. Remember when she was the It Girl of the 90s?

Maggie Smith
AKA: Goddess
Film credits: Death on the Nile, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite, A Room with a View, The Secret Garden
Smith is the Greatest Living Actress of All Time. Think about that.

Lily Tomlin
AKA: Linnea Reese
Film credits: A Prairie Home Companion, Short Cuts, Nashville, Tea with Mussolini, Shadows and Fog
Tomlin is a highly-accomplished comedienne, with four Emmys, two Tonys, and a Grammy, as well as the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and an Oscar nomination for her debut role in Nashville. Though yet to be nominated at the Hollmann Awards, last year she introduced the trailer for Best Picture nominee Hairspray.

Betty White
AKA: Rose Nylund
Film credits: Lake Placid, Bringing Down the House
White is the third Golden Girl to have regularly appeared at the Hollmann Awards, presenting trailers for Best Picture nominees. In 2007, she had the honor of introducing the Winner for Best Original Score and Best Picture, Pan's Labyrinth. In 2008, she introduced Zodiac.

I don't care how you vote. Rank 'em, do a tie, do a ten-way tie, any way you want. Just know that whoever you choose, you're stuck with them for an entire awards presentation.

Hollmann Awards

For the past two years over on my livejournal, I've been hosting the Hollmann Awards, a creatively-named testament to my superior film knowledge. Nominees are announced the day before the Oscar nominees are, and the awards are also given the day before their ceremony.

The Hollmann Awards started in 2006, and I greatly regret not doing them in 2005. However, here's a quick run-down of the history of the Hollmann Awards.'

2006
Hosted by Philip Baker Hall, nominations announced by Gary Coleman, guest appearances by Bea Arthur, Fran Drescher, Rue McClanahan & Betty White.
BEST PICTURE: Pan's Labyrinth
BEST DIRECTOR: Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion
BEST ACTOR: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat
BEST ACTRESS: Helen Mirren, The Queen
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jack Nicholson, The Departed & Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, A Prairie Home Companion
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Michel Gondry, The Science of Sleep
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: William Monahan, The Departed
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Javier Navarrete, Pan's Labyrinth
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: You Know My Name, Casino Royale

2007
Hosted by Patricia Clarkson, nominations announced by Philip Baker Hall, guest appearances by Bea Arthur, Lauren Bacall, Rue McClanahan, Lily Tomlin & Betty White
BEST PICTURE: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
BEST DIRECTOR: Andrew Dominik, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
BEST ACTRESS: Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Bruce Greenwood, I'm Not There
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Brad Bird, Ratatouille
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

And this year...well, who knows? Patricia Clarkson will be doing the nominations and presenting Best Picture at the ceremonies. I'll be putting up a list of all films eligible, plus an additional 25 semi-finalists in each category.

The Brits

The BAFTAs announced today, and that's always interesting. They allow double nominees in acting categories, say "FUCK YOU" to category fraud, and have the tendency to surprise us all. Even if they have the same movies, they nominate them in unfamiliar categories. Let's just look.

BEST FILM
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: So, I kind of figured they'd nominate The Reader, but I'm surprised they got Milk. It's a much more American tale than, say, Frost/Nixon. I figured Doubt would be more their style. Live and learn.

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
REACTION: No Nolan is a bit of a shock, but even more so is the inclusion of Clint Eastwood for Changeling. I guess they love him across the pond more than we do here. Good movie, but I wouldn't nominate Eastwood above Nolan.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Philippe Claudel, I've Loved You So Long
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling
REACTION: All Awesome on the McDonagh Front. I like how DLB is the only nominee getting any Oscar heat as well. The Coens are deserving, Straczynski, less so.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare, The Reader
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
REACTION: No surprises here.

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz with Bashir
REACTION: Interesting thing here. First off, BAFTA does not limit one entry per country, as France has both I've Loved You So Long and Persepolis. Also, release dates are wonky, since Persepolis was a 2007 release in most other places. Also, there are two animated films in competition here. BAFTA is odd.

ANIMATED FILM
Persepolis
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir
REACTION: Persepolis, am I right?

LEADING ACTOR
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
REACTION: See, BAFTA gets it. Dev Patel is the lead, not a supporting player. Otherwise, the usual suspects are there.

LEADING ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: This is what I mean. Kate is the lead in two movies, therefore she gets nominated twice in the lead category. No choosing between roles, no category fraud. Just the truth. Although, having seen 3/5 of the films nominated, I gotta say this is disappointing. Angie? What the hell is BAFTA's deal with Changeling? And why is Kate always nominated when Leo isn't, even though he turns in far more believable performances in their films? At least Meryl's here, but I'm shocked at their snubbing of Happy-Go-Lucky and its star, Sally Hawkins.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
REACTION: Glad they included Pitt and Gleeson in this category. BAFTA has a sense of humor, as proven by 3/5 of this category -- 4, if you include Heath's Joker, but he was never ha-ha funny, more squirmily uncomfortable funny.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
REACTION: Tilda was much better in Benjamin Button, but I'm glad Burn After Reading is getting so much attention. I'm glad I'm not alone in preferring Adams' turn to Davis's in Doubt. Davis is electric, but Adams does some really subtle work here. The Pinto nom is strange. She's good, but there was far better actressing in far deeper roles this year. Synecdoche, anyone? Was that even eligible?

MUSIC
Benny Andersson/Bjorn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia!
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard/Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight
Thomas Newman, WALL-E
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: Ma...Mamma Mia? Really? You...you lost me BAFTA. That's not...oh, never mind.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins/Chris Menges, The Reader
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
Tom Stern, Changeling
REACTION: No, seriously, what's with all the Changeling love? It wasn't, like amazing. It was OK.

EDITING
Kirk Baxter/Angus Wall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Joel Cox/Gary D. Roach, Changeling
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire
Jon Gregory, In Bruges
Dan Hanley/Mike Hill, Frost/Nixon
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight
REACTION: I really do love the In Bruges party that is the BAFTAs. If only Colin was nominated...

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Donald Graham Burt/Victor J. Zolfo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nathan Crowley/Peter Lando, The Dark Knight
Michelle Day/Mark Digby, Slumdog Millionaire
Gary Fettis/James J. Murakami, Changeling
Debra Schutt/Kristi Zea, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: That's fine. That's okay.

COSTUME DESIGN
Lindy Hemming, The Dark Knight
Deborah Hopper, Changeling
Michael O'Connor
Jacqueline West, The Curious case of Benjamin Button
Albert Wolsky, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: You know, if it wasn't for technical awards, I would never have a reason to see The Duchess. I was happier before.

SOUND
Ben Burtt/Tom Myers/Michael Semanick/Matthew Wood, WALL-E
Glenn Freemantle/Resul Pookutty/Richard Pryke/Tom Sayers/Ian Tapp, Slumdog Millionaire
Lora Hirschberg/Richard King/Ed Novick/Gary Rizzo, The Dark Knight
Eddy Joseph/Chris Munro/Mike Prestwood Smith/Mark Taylor, Quantum of Solace
Walt Martin / Alan Robert Murray / John Reitz / Gregg Rudloff, Changeling
REACTION: I've decided BAFTA only saw Changeling, and Christmas-treed the rest. Seriously. What am I missing? WALL-E does have some kick-ass sound work, and I like how BAFTA has just one sound category. Easier.

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Eric Barba/Craig Barron/Nathan McGuinness/Edson Williams, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Chris Corbould/Nick Davis/Paul Franklin/Tim Webber, The Dark Knight
Chris Corbould/Kevin Tod Haug, Quantum of Solace
Pablo Helman, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Shane Patrick Mahan/John Nelson/Ben Snow, Iron Man
REACTION: This looks fine, although I recently found out that some very impressive Milk cinematography was actually some kick-ass visual effects. So. Anyway, good list, except that everything looks fake in Indiana Jones, and isn't that just antithetical?

MAKE UP & HAIR
Steven E. Anderson / Michael White, Milk
Jan Archibald/Daniel Phillips, The Duchess
Jean Black / Colleen Callaghan, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Edouard Henriques/Kim Santantonio, Frost/Nixon
Peter Robb-King, The Dark Knight
REACTION: Man, does Frost/Nixon ever deserve that hair nom. I mean, Michael Sheen. That hair.

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: Man, only BAFTA would nominate Mamma Mia! over and over. I love how documentaries get on these lists. That's pretty boss.

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Michael Cera
Noel Clarke
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell
REACTION: Not to belittle this "public", but why were Cera and Kebbell not nominated last year? Both had relatively high-profile films last year, released in Britain in time for awards consideration, so...? Also, I hate to sound ignorant, but who is Noel Clarke?

Four Down, Still More to Go

Good weekend for movie-watching. Bad weekend for Globe-watching. But you know, I'd rather I'd see the films than watch the Oscars cluelessly, you know. Who cares if I missed the Globes? Who cares if I missed Drew Barrymore's unparalleled beauty? Who cares if I missed Colin Farrell winning Best Actor?

Well, okay, I do. A little. But at least I'm almost caught up!

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Boy, did I not know what to think going in. All of my friends loved it, and all of my favorite critics said it was fine, decent, okay, but not GREAT. And it was already sweeping awards, so I guess I came in a little wary. But Lord almighty does this thing win you over! Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a tea-server, a boy from the slums of Mumbai. He winds up on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and is suspected of cheating when he is one question away from winning. He recounts his life and the effect it had on his answers.

I really enjoyed it. Nay, loved it. A lot. Danny Boyle is one of those who can always hit it out of the park (I have always regretted that Sunshine did not make it to the Hollmann Awards last year, even just for score), and he does a great job here. His directing style suits the material just fine, and the cinematography is breathtaking, simultaneously gritty and beautiful.

And it's a very uplifting tale, too. There are scenes of such brutal violence, such decadence, such debauchery, that many claim that to say such a thing is missing the forest for the trees. I disagree, though. The movie has a happy ending, he overcomes everything despite the shit and piss and bullets and brothels. How is that not uplifting? This is a Dickensian tale, people; that happy ending has to be earned, and earned hard.

Patel is a very natural actor. His first scenes are a little awkward, but upon reflection, I think the fault lies more with his scene partner, Saurabh Shukla (as a violent interrogator). Then Irrfan Kahn steps in as the Police Inspector and things get going. The children are great, adorable and believable. Anil Kapoor is rather groovy as the Millionaire host. The only weak link here is Freida Pinto as the adult version of Jamal's one love, Latika. And not because she's bad; she's actually pretty damn good. Rather, she just looks absolutely NOTHING like the actresses playing her younger selves. Not in the eyes, not in the skin tone, not in the shape of face, nowhere. It's a continuity mishap that just bothered the hell out of me.

Then there's the final "Jai Ho" sequence, in which he learn that Patel may have a future in musicals. And it's joyous and cathartic and uplifting, and it's everything a movie should be. Slumdog does it all. It makes you cringe and wince and puke a little in your mouth, but it also makes you laugh and dance and leap with joy. That's what movies are, man.

THE WRESTLER
An interesting companion piece to Slumdog was this treasure. Darren Aronofsky's unconventional sports film another underdog tale, but one with a bigger bite. The lead, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), is kind of a shit. I mean, you feel bad for him and root for him and want him to succeed, but he's a shit. It's no wonder that his favorite stripper (Marisa Tomei) spurns his affections, and his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) refuses to see him.

In fact, he kind of reminds me of Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow. God, how you love this man. But at the same time, he is so....helpless. He has dug himself a grave and he's in up to his chest. It's a sad film, a funny film, a sweet film. Rourke is amazing, presenting a human both charming and trashy. Tomei and Wood give able support, and both get killer final scenes, but this is Rourke's show. He owns.

And the song. No wonder he's the Boss.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
God, you know, I still can't get my head around this movie. I read the book, I understand that the protagonists lie to themselves and each other, are continually "acting", so to speak. But I guess the difference is that Leonardo DiCaprio does it, I believe it. I can see a dim, theatrical, high-falutin' man with unpursued dreams that he just waxes on about. We all know that guy. We all have a family member who either dated or is about to get married to one.

But Kate, man. I just didn't buy it. Even if her performance is supposed to be one big false note, even she's supposed to sound as if she's spouting lines instead of speaking like a person, it just left me cold. I can understand people liking the film, I guess, but she just took me out of it. To see a great Winslet performance in a suburban melodrama, check out Little Children instead.

Interestingly, Kate is the only weak link of the film. Director Sam Mendes has some beautiful stuff to work with here. He lingers longer than you think he should, and it just adds to this whole uncomfortable atmosphere riddled throughout the narrative. Thomas Newman's score is simple but elegant, and Roger Deakins' cinematography is...well, it's Deakins, for God's sake! Did you think this wasn't going to be beautiful?

Justin Haythe does an admirable job adapting David Yates' original novel for the screen. I just don't know if all those lines work for a movie. It's like everyone is pretending they're in a movie that takes place in the 1950s, and while this may be true, I don't want to watch a film and know it. That was the problem with Doubt. Everytime I was content, the director or writer or something would decide to pull the rug out from under me and scream, "MOVIE!" Not my cup of tea.

JCVD
And yet, when this film takes a six-minute break so that Jean-Claude Van Damme can address the camera directly in a meta-monologue, it works. The whole film hinges on the fact that Van Damme is a movie star. Everything done here is self-aware: the unrealistic lighting, the opening long take, the constant film references, the aforementioned monologue. But it works.

In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme (Jean-Claude Van Damme) returns to Belgium in the midst of a custody battle with his ex-wife over their daughter. Next thing you know, police gather outside a local post office, and it appears JCVD has locked himself in there with hostages. The rest is like a funnier, Frenchier version of Dog Day Afternoon, right down to a John Cazale lookalike.

The difference between this and Revolutionary Road is that it's a great satire that happens to work on a dramatic level, whereas Road is an okay melodrama that seems to not know whether or not to be a satire. You know? And meanwhile, we learn that Van Damme is actually one of the greatest dramatic actors around. His monologue is penetrating. You kind of giggle at first, but then it's just depressing. Here is a movie star, famous for kicking ass and taking names, now involved in a real-life situation where he can do neither of those things. This ain't the movies, and he's just an actor.

JCVD is splendid, suspenseful and sad. I can't wait for this to get a wider release, because it's definitely a must-see.

Golden Globes Results

Well, now that I've actually caught up a bit on films, I can give an honest reaction to last night's Golden Globes.

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: No argument here. I just saw Slumdog, and it's everything people are saying it is. Uplifting, inspiring, romantic, incredible. Guessed right, I did.

BEST PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
REACTION: Let the joyous news at last be spread: Woody's career's no longer dead! I predicted Happy-Go-Lucky incorrectly, but I am VERY happy with this choice. ECSTATIC.

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
REACTION: Rourke, Penn, Langella, DiCaprio and Pitt all turned in some career-best performances. I really would have been happy no matter who won. I predicted Sean Penn for Milk, but Rourke will do just fine, thank you.

BEST ACTOR - COMEDY/MUSICAL
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
REACTION: Called it. Deserved it. Let's move on.

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: I dunno. She was good, but this performance just didn't ring true for me. Still, it was great to see her win something, and awesome to see her win everything. I'd give it to her over Jolie, too.

BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY/MUSICAL
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
REACTION: Called it. Loved it. Let's move on.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
REACTION: See above.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Winslet, The Reader
REACTION: Hoo-ah! This is a shock! Two awards in one ceremony? If only she had done a musical this year, too. I'm surprised neither Cruz nor Davis got it, but oh well. Still need to see this one.

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: I predicted Fincher, but I can't complain. Boyle's the fucking man, man.

BEST SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: And I still need to read this one. It sounded great, though! Hurrah!

GOLDEN GLOBES PREDIX

I know they're on right now, but I just got back from dinner with my cousins. So now, what I would have predicted.

BEST DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire
BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL: Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST ACTOR (DRAMA): Sean Penn, Milk
BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA): Meryl Streep, Doubt
BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL): Colin Farrell, In Bruges
BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL): Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST DIRECTOR: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST SONG: The Wrestler
BEST SCORE: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST SCREENPLAY: Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I can already see how wrong I am. How very, very wrong.

Them What's at the Helm

And so, the DGA announced their nominations today, finishing off the Big Guild Nominations. We've heard from SAG, PGA, WGA, and now DGA.

For those who just want to hear the damn names,

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk

All these films are nominated at the WGA. This matches up 5/5 with the PGA noms, and 4/5 with the SAG Ensemble noms. I say Fincher wins this one, and I'll only be surprised if Van Sant gets it. Well, I'll raise my eyebrows for Nolan, but then I'll nod knowingly to myself.

I have no big problem with these, either. I've yet to see Slumdog, but the other four made it to my Top Ten of 2008. That's cool.

I mean, Howard's no Demme or Kaufman, but it is the best he's done. Eh, good job.

My Favorite Guild Announced

Original
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Thomas McCarthy, The Visitor
Robert Siegel, The Wrestler
REACTION: A rant, if I may.

Fair enough, I have yet to read the screenplays to Milk (though I did see the movie), The Visitor, and The Wrestler. I confess, this is true, so perhaps this opinion just isn't right. And, you know, I love Woody Allen. If the Cinema is a church, than he and Altman are the saints I pray to. A WGA nomination after thirteen years without is INCREDIBLE.

But that does not excuse the lack of a nomination for Rachel Getting Married or Synecdoche, NY.

I mean, am I crazy? Do I just like some really sub-par movies? Because last I checked, Rachel and Synecdoche were two of the best films I'd seen all year. Maybe I should read the screenplay to the former, maybe it was not as beautifully done as the film was. But i read Vicky Cristina, and I have a copy of one of the earlier drafts of Annie Hall, so a comparison of the two shows me that (a) Woody's writing has gotten a little sparse, and (b) the acting is what makes VCB, fan though I be of the Woodster.

Synecdoche, meanwhile, is just beautifully written, not to mention completely original in style, concept, execution, etc. And that's no disrespect to VCB, Milk, etc. Two of these films made it to my Top Ten, so I obviously love them. It's just...I don't know. Even when I win, I lose.

That said, I do congratulate all on their noms, and I hope to read/see their films soon.

Adapted
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan (Story by Christopher Nolan/David S. Goyer), The Dark Knight
Eric Roth (Story by Roth/FSU Alum Robin Swicord), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt

REACTION: No surprises here. In fact, when Ben read the noms , I was able to tell him the adapted nominees without looking. Well, except The Dark Knight, which we are very excited about. Tres excited, even.

OMG PGA!

And I don't mean Golf, either. This special 100th post is dedicated to the recently-announced Producer's Guild Association Nominations!

Traditionally, the PGA and DGA nominations are good ways to determine the Best Picture nominees at the Oscars. But, as always, there's one or two that don't match up.

You know, I'm not quite sure what it's honoring. The producers, I know, but is it the amazing feat of getting everything together, or selling their product, or what? I wish I knew more.

Last year, the nominees included The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be Blood. The winner was also the Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men. Only Diving Bell did not match up to Best Picture at the Oscars, with Atonement in its place.

A look at years past, all the way to 2000, shows that the Oscar's Best Picture nominees and the PGA nominees never match up. Nothing ever does. Indeed, only four times this decade have the winners matched up. Still, it's usually 4/5. So....

THE 2008 PGA AWARDS NOMINEES
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Ooh, fun! The Dark Knight made it in. Rightfully so. Oh, so very just and god! And goddammit, I still need to see Slumdog! Dammit!

Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon

Wow, is this late. But it took me a while who to do and what to say, all while getting ready for classes this week.

It's no secret that I freeking love Speed Racer. It made it to my Top Ten of 2008, I gave it four stars, I love it. I could reiterate all that I've already said about it, but in the end, it all comes down to how the movie just nailed the sentimental cheesiness of it all, without cynicism, without compromising the tone, without sacrificing the realism of the characters. And nobody does it better (makes me feel sad for the rest) than Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom.

Not Susan Sarandon

She certainly does not have an easy task. Mom doesn't even have a name. We know little about her except that she makes the best pancakes ever. Yet Sarandon -- and certainly, the Wachowskis -- work to make Mom a believable enough human being. That's saying a lot for a film that delights in its own cartoonishness. Certainly Sarandon herself said her part is just a series of scenes involving her making breakfast. But she really does invest quite a bit more in this character.

Mom really is the Perfect Mother, first of all. She's a housewife, and revels in it. No complaints, not even an underlying hint of resentment or desire for something more. This is her dream, and while it may not seem like much to you or I, she's genuinely happy. She takes pride in her pancakes, her children, her husband's work. She's supportive and loving, but she's also Mom. Like when she admonishes Spritle for his couch antics with Chim-Chim: it's a fine scene establishing both the playfulness of the children and her role as Mom. Sure, it's in her name, but if she doesn't do any mothering, how can we know for sure?

Sarandon's greatest triumph is in making Mom sentimental without being too grating. Her bedside talk with Speed is beautiful. Any actress could go for cheese here. Any actress could just say the words without a care, because it's a cartoon movie. But Sarandon means every word of it. She believes it, and so we believe it. When she compares his racing to an artist painting, it's a truly touching moment. Forget Racer X's odd but awesome "Racing changes us" speech; <i>this</i> is when we realize the impact this sport has on the family.

I'd have an Oedipus complex for sure

In fact, Mom is the character who best expresses the family's workings. In her first scene, called into a conference with Speed's teacher, she gives us all the elements we'll see in the rest of the family. First is that pride in racing as a family sport. The teacher is not amused, but Sarandon's Mom, while waxing apologetic, also has a gleam in her eye, a mischievous smile threatening at the corners. She can see that it's a flimsy excuse, but to her it makes sense: Pops builds cars, Rex races them, Speed adores it all. And while she may be a little concerned, a little embarrassed, she sees no problem in her son pursuing his passion.

Second is that somewhat frightening loyalty. Pops can't make it to the conference, and Speed's teacher disapproves. What's more, she voices that disapproval. And man, the look Sarandon has. This movie taught me what it meant to stare daggers at someone. Sarandon just absolutely nails it. It's a little scary because it really looks like she could kill, a lioness protecting her cubs. And husband. But it's also what we all hoped our moms looked like when teacher called them in. We all want our mothers to love us that much, and to be willing to strike. Sarandon's Mom doesn't strike, but there is an edge to her voice that makes things very clear.

And later, she will club that teacher to death with the trophy

(While we're on the subject, I also love that the teacher (Melissa Holroyd) doesn't care. She's seen it all, she knows the score. Fuck you, parents, you don't scare me. Nice.)

I guess I love the performance because it reminds me of my mother. We've had that bedside talk, where she encouraged me to get into theatre and film, because when she sees the things I do on stage, it just takes her breath away. She's said this, she really has. And I've seen her at a few parent-teacher conferences, and both her and my dad told off my vice principal in fourth grade. Never mind the situation, that's for a later date. But ol' Mom Racer is Mom Hollmann, so I know how true it rings. As Mae West said in <i>Sextette</i>, "It's real, baby, it's all real."