Inception
Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” has only been out for a weekend, and already it seems to be single-handedly saving summer 2010. Why? It’s the rare blockbuster that’s actually an airtight science fiction thriller, full of good old-fashioned heist mechanics and a startlingly fresh, original concept.
The plot follows Leo DiCaprio’s travails as dream thief Dom Cobb as he builds a crack team of experts to assist him in “inception,” or the planting of an idea through a dream. The story begins slowly, but steadily gets more and more exhilarating, culminating in a climax that takes place in five different levels of consciousness. There’s something to be respected about an idea that can take ten seconds and stretch it into an epic fight for survival all taking place within a character’s mind.
Even the pieces that don’t necessarily stay watertight once the credits roll are convincing as they happen onscreen. I actually found my favorite part of the film was the fact that all of the internal logic of the movie (and, to some degree, all movies) operates the same way Nolan interprets dreams. For example:
1) Dreams have no beginning. Probably the most notable because that's what makes the last scene so intense. Movies have to feature smash cuts, jumps from one time to another, but by the end the audience is actively doubting the legitimacy of the story because of it.
For the record, I don’t believe that last scene was a dream. What I find the achievement to be is that even as I knew the movie couldn’t end with such a pat ending, I wanted it to. I was sitting at the edge of my seat. I had begun to doubt the reality in which I was immersed for the last two hours. And I was invested in DiCaprio’s character far more than I had realized. I wanted him to break free from Moll and rejoin reality.
2) In dreams, something might seem logical, even if it makes little sense afterward. The "one last job" structure of the story gets the audience immediately on board because of familiarity. But on second thought, there are many holes in the story.
Watanabe goes directly to DiCaprio and Gordon-Levitt, even though they supposedly work for a large corporation. This corporation tried to steal from Watanabe and failed, so he kidnapped one of their team members? And then was taken on as a client? (I'm sorry, the part with the helicopter made the least sense to me.)
The corporation (none of whom are seen throughout the whole film) employs DiCaprio despite the fact that he's a wanted man in the US, and also allows him to take bribes from clients (his freedom to return home).
DiCaprio claims he cannot see his children, but Caine (their grandfather) works in Paris. Where he speaks with DiCaprio. And presumably COULD BRING THE CHILDREN. Thus the circumstances of the domestic drama is somewhat forced.
3) Once a dream is created, the dreamer will fill it with a history. These characters are not particularly richly rendered. The performances are pretty strong across the board, but backstory is limited, even in the broadest sense. How does one become a dream thief? Caine’s character seems to be a professor, but of what sort? Does he believe DiCaprio killed his daughter? If not, then why does he endorse DiCaprio’s undercover life?
As the viewer, I filled in little details like this for myself, spending my time following the plot and being delighted at the touches of detail when it came to the dream extraction.
4) Sensation of time in dreams. Obviously, a movie that actually takes places over the course of two hours is a gimmick and not the norm. The average film compresses days/weeks/months into a two hour period. Nolan artfully juggled multiple compressed narratives while maintaining a great sense of pacing and timing.
I was impressed by “Inception.” I thought it worked as an action/science fiction flick and did have a little something to say about the nature of reality and accepting it, by using the way we accept the reality of a film world as his working example. Clever and interesting enough for me; the concept was probably the most surprisingly original one I've seen in a while.
Nolan returns to themes he usually favors. Obsession has pervaded from “Momento” to “The Prestige” to his Batman movies. Self-destructive heroes are blinded by their inability to relent. It is an idea borrowed straight from noir. It follows DiCaprio here, with Marion Cotillard as the femme fatale that just so happens to be dead. She haunts DiCaprio’s dream world with menace, destroying his ability to connect with the living; destroying his chance to reunite with the rest of his family. It’s a strong performance and a rich trope, but Nolan isn’t opposed to some subversion: in the climactic showdown, DiCaprio recognizes Cotillard’s lack of complexity, finally letting her go because she’s “just a shade” of his wife.
“Inception” has the buzz it deserves, and is probably the first movie of the summer (or even the year) to warrant multiple viewings. It fires on all cylinders and is the best mainstream hit since “The Matrix.” Nolan’s exploited his strengths and acknowledged some of his plotting weaknesses, drawing them back into the film with a knowing sort of workmanship. Hopefully a new American classic.
July 18, 2010
March 7, 2010
Oscars 2010
This is my first Oscars post.
The Oscars this year are likely going to be unforgettable in how forgettable they feel now. Though it’s considered a lukewarm movie year, several of the film out this year – most notably “Avatar,” “Up in the Air,” and “District Nine,” as I see it – really capture contemporary issues and really encapsulate just how far moviemaking has come in the last 100 years.
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”: PREDICTION. This seems like an apology for ignoring Mickey Rourke last year.
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”: PREFERANCE. Even though the movie was uneven, Firth has been stuck in awkward supporting parts in silly comedies for too long.
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Another standout performer in a less-than-perfect film. Nazis tend to come in two speeds: dead, or Ralph Fiennes. It’s always nice to see riffs on established movie traditions, and in four languages, to boot.
Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”: PREDICTION. As much as it pains me, it’s clear. Bullock has been humble, grateful, and seems to have the ability to honestly assess her career, all three things that endear her to voters. The movie surrounding her is less than prestigious, and that might (might) be her downfall, though.
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”: PREFERRED. Though more for her as a person, and less so for the movie as a movie.
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”: PREFERRED. Girl survived “Twilight” and held her own against an Oscar winner and supposedly the latter-day Meryl Streep. Granted, there’s no way in hell she could take the prize (and if she did, she’d have hell to pay), but she gave sort of the opposite of the traditional overplayed “monster” role, and for that she deserves some props.
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”: PREDICTION. She’s somewhat of an outsider, made a small film into a big deal, got ugly, and has a history that relates to the tumultuous story. It’s Jennifer Hudson all over again (save the ugly).
Animated Feature Film
“Coraline” Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
“Up” Pete Docter: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Nobody does animation like Pixar, and in a year full of strong children’s films, it was still evident how much farther they are ahead.
Art Direction
“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair: PREDICTION. With a Best Picture upset very possible, “Avatar” will probably rack up dozens of technical awards.
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray: PREFERRED. Every fork and spoon and curtain and earring takes thought in an extravagant period piece such as this one.
Cinematography
“Avatar” Mauro Fiore: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. One thing that Cameron really accomplished was the ability to do more than a slow pan or zoom over CGI. And the depth of field achieved with the 3D was amazing.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger
Costume Design
“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier: PREFERRED. It’s a film about fashion’s most unique and probably most influential mind.
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell: PREDICTION. It’s a period piece. They wear petticoats, etc.
Directing
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Everyone wants to make history. Why do you think Halle Barry won that statue 8 years ago? When Sofia Coppola was nominated, it was still too soon. But backlash aside, it seems fitting that for a neo-war movie, the brave step forward was honoring the first female best director.
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
Documentary (Feature)
“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. I’ simply prefer to be right. It’s “The Jungle” of movies, and people are moved by finding that the things they trust – like supermarkets – aim to hurt them.
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject)
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. I don’t watch too many documentary shorts, but this seems topical and relevant in a way that the others aren’t (for an American voting base).
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Film Editing
“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. With so much CGI, there was precious little time for shaky camera tricks or epileptic cuts, and for that, someone should be commended.
“District 9” Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz
Foreign Language Film
“Ajami” Israel
“The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
“A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France: PREFERRED. This is a purely personal coice, enjoying films about criminals and their origins.
“The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
“The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany: PREDICTION. It’s critically popular and critics make or break this award.
Makeup
“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. The makeup was a little cheesy, but far superior to those horrible Klingon effects in the TV show.
“The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Music (Original Score)
“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Giacchino had an excellent year – with “Up,” “Fringe,” and the superb “Star Trek” – and created a score that held much of the emotion in the film, particularly that beginning montage.
Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston: PREFERRED. The movie was a mess, but wasn’t Cotillard wonderful in it?
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett: PREDICTION. “The Princess and the Frog” fell somewhat flat, as did “Nine.” “Crazy Heart” is already a sentimental favorite. Like the Best Actor prize, this should try and make amends for ignoring Brice Springsteen for “The Wrestler.”
Best Picture
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. This will probably go down as one of those “Worst Best” awards, with “Avatar” remembered as a far superior achievement. But right now, “The Hurt Locker” is still technically perfect, well acted, and just as topical. It will probably have less of an effect on films to come, but in March 2010, “The Hurt Locker” is the one to beat.
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
Short Film (Animated)
“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert: PREDICTION? I can’t say what people will enjoy, but this film was a bit of pure absurd genius.
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell: PREFERRED. Angry Irish grandma for the win!
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey: PREDICTION. I predict in favor of the sentimental pick.
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson: PREDERRED. Seems interestingly edgy in its darkness, with too little time for a tacked on ending.
Sound Editing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Do I know anything about sound editing? No. Do I think that some small attempt at a sweep will be made? Yes.
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Same as Sound Editing.
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects
“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. No one else is even in the race on this award.
“District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche: PREFERRED. The artful usage of not only profanity, but the hysterically unclear mumbling of politicians was executed perfectly. It might be a bit much for voters, though, especially if they only see the “For Your Consideration” bits and not the whole thing.
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner: PREDICTION. Reitman’s film not win anything else (again), but this time he gets the trophy. He’s the epitome of what Hollywood wants. Cheap, “indie,” filmmakers that work with big studios and can turn A-Listers into artists.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal: PREFERRED. Lawsuits aside, this other, equally radical war movie managed to be character-driven.
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino: PREDICTION. The movie is a structural mess. The various plots are only tenuously strung together. But it shows off Tarantino’s ability to write dialogue. And it also was the rare war movie that had setpieces that revolved not around death and explosions, but slowly mounting dread.
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
The Oscars this year are likely going to be unforgettable in how forgettable they feel now. Though it’s considered a lukewarm movie year, several of the film out this year – most notably “Avatar,” “Up in the Air,” and “District Nine,” as I see it – really capture contemporary issues and really encapsulate just how far moviemaking has come in the last 100 years.
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”: PREDICTION. This seems like an apology for ignoring Mickey Rourke last year.
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”: PREFERANCE. Even though the movie was uneven, Firth has been stuck in awkward supporting parts in silly comedies for too long.
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Another standout performer in a less-than-perfect film. Nazis tend to come in two speeds: dead, or Ralph Fiennes. It’s always nice to see riffs on established movie traditions, and in four languages, to boot.
Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”: PREDICTION. As much as it pains me, it’s clear. Bullock has been humble, grateful, and seems to have the ability to honestly assess her career, all three things that endear her to voters. The movie surrounding her is less than prestigious, and that might (might) be her downfall, though.
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”: PREFERRED. Though more for her as a person, and less so for the movie as a movie.
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”: PREFERRED. Girl survived “Twilight” and held her own against an Oscar winner and supposedly the latter-day Meryl Streep. Granted, there’s no way in hell she could take the prize (and if she did, she’d have hell to pay), but she gave sort of the opposite of the traditional overplayed “monster” role, and for that she deserves some props.
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”: PREDICTION. She’s somewhat of an outsider, made a small film into a big deal, got ugly, and has a history that relates to the tumultuous story. It’s Jennifer Hudson all over again (save the ugly).
Animated Feature Film
“Coraline” Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
“Up” Pete Docter: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Nobody does animation like Pixar, and in a year full of strong children’s films, it was still evident how much farther they are ahead.
Art Direction
“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair: PREDICTION. With a Best Picture upset very possible, “Avatar” will probably rack up dozens of technical awards.
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray: PREFERRED. Every fork and spoon and curtain and earring takes thought in an extravagant period piece such as this one.
Cinematography
“Avatar” Mauro Fiore: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. One thing that Cameron really accomplished was the ability to do more than a slow pan or zoom over CGI. And the depth of field achieved with the 3D was amazing.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger
Costume Design
“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier: PREFERRED. It’s a film about fashion’s most unique and probably most influential mind.
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell: PREDICTION. It’s a period piece. They wear petticoats, etc.
Directing
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Everyone wants to make history. Why do you think Halle Barry won that statue 8 years ago? When Sofia Coppola was nominated, it was still too soon. But backlash aside, it seems fitting that for a neo-war movie, the brave step forward was honoring the first female best director.
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
Documentary (Feature)
“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. I’ simply prefer to be right. It’s “The Jungle” of movies, and people are moved by finding that the things they trust – like supermarkets – aim to hurt them.
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject)
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. I don’t watch too many documentary shorts, but this seems topical and relevant in a way that the others aren’t (for an American voting base).
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Film Editing
“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. With so much CGI, there was precious little time for shaky camera tricks or epileptic cuts, and for that, someone should be commended.
“District 9” Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz
Foreign Language Film
“Ajami” Israel
“The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
“A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France: PREFERRED. This is a purely personal coice, enjoying films about criminals and their origins.
“The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
“The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany: PREDICTION. It’s critically popular and critics make or break this award.
Makeup
“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. The makeup was a little cheesy, but far superior to those horrible Klingon effects in the TV show.
“The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Music (Original Score)
“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Giacchino had an excellent year – with “Up,” “Fringe,” and the superb “Star Trek” – and created a score that held much of the emotion in the film, particularly that beginning montage.
Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston: PREFERRED. The movie was a mess, but wasn’t Cotillard wonderful in it?
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett: PREDICTION. “The Princess and the Frog” fell somewhat flat, as did “Nine.” “Crazy Heart” is already a sentimental favorite. Like the Best Actor prize, this should try and make amends for ignoring Brice Springsteen for “The Wrestler.”
Best Picture
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. This will probably go down as one of those “Worst Best” awards, with “Avatar” remembered as a far superior achievement. But right now, “The Hurt Locker” is still technically perfect, well acted, and just as topical. It will probably have less of an effect on films to come, but in March 2010, “The Hurt Locker” is the one to beat.
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
Short Film (Animated)
“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert: PREDICTION? I can’t say what people will enjoy, but this film was a bit of pure absurd genius.
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell: PREFERRED. Angry Irish grandma for the win!
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey: PREDICTION. I predict in favor of the sentimental pick.
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson: PREDERRED. Seems interestingly edgy in its darkness, with too little time for a tacked on ending.
Sound Editing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Do I know anything about sound editing? No. Do I think that some small attempt at a sweep will be made? Yes.
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. Same as Sound Editing.
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects
“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones: PREDICTION AND PREFERRED. No one else is even in the race on this award.
“District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche: PREFERRED. The artful usage of not only profanity, but the hysterically unclear mumbling of politicians was executed perfectly. It might be a bit much for voters, though, especially if they only see the “For Your Consideration” bits and not the whole thing.
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner: PREDICTION. Reitman’s film not win anything else (again), but this time he gets the trophy. He’s the epitome of what Hollywood wants. Cheap, “indie,” filmmakers that work with big studios and can turn A-Listers into artists.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal: PREFERRED. Lawsuits aside, this other, equally radical war movie managed to be character-driven.
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino: PREDICTION. The movie is a structural mess. The various plots are only tenuously strung together. But it shows off Tarantino’s ability to write dialogue. And it also was the rare war movie that had setpieces that revolved not around death and explosions, but slowly mounting dread.
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
January 23, 2010
SAG Awards 2010
SAG Awards
These awards may claim to be about acting, but really the main departure from the Golden Globes is that of pretension and class. There are only a few awards to be won and it tends to be a pretty inoffensive show. Onwards!
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
An Education
The Hurt Locker: PROBABLE. This is where they get to make their Best Picture winner guess. “Slumdog Millionaire” won last year, and the young stars of that haven’t done much of anything this past year. “Hurt Locker” is a critical favorite and actually features some top-notch acting in addition to its heady subject matter.
Inglorious Basterds
Nine
Precious
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges
George Clooney
Colin Firth: PROBABLE. Gay rights are still the hot thing, especially out in Hollywood. Bridges will likely take the Oscar but I can’t see Firth being ignored totally by his peers.
Morgan Freeman
Jeremy Renner
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock
Helen Mirren
Carey Mulligan
Gabourey Sidbe
Meryl Streep: PROBABLE. There can never be a category where both Meryl Streep AND Helen Mirren get ignored, can they? This a tiny bit of a crapshoot. “Julie and Julia” premeired and Streep was the shoo-in. Then “Precious” came out, and Sidbe could have ridden that film’s popularity to the finish. “An Education” seemed to blow everyone away, but since, Mulligan has yet to receive anything for her performance. Bullock got lucky last week at the Golden Globes, and I would be more shocked than Mickey Rourke to see her win again.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon
Woody Harrelson
Christopher Plummer
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz: PROBABLE. This is the one I’d bet on. I can be confident here. None of these other actors were as vital to their film as Waltz was to “Inglourious Basterds.”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz
Vera Farmiga
Anna Kendrick
Diane Kruger
Mo’Nique: PROBABLE. Her win last week solidified my theory. Actors love to see other actors lose their shit onscreen. It’s a performance most would describe as “fearless” (I prefer “shameless”) and has personal relevance to her. It would be hard for her not to win.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men: PROBABLE. A classy, well designed show that’s also low-key enough to sit back every week and let its actors do the work. This season also showcased each major character at some sort of crossroads. Really good stuff.
True Blood
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm: PROBABLE. It’s like giving an award to “Sienfeld.” There’s been a huge “30 Rock” backlash and I can assure that neither it nor “The Office” will walk away with the prize.
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
Simon Baker
Brian Cranston
Michael C. Hall: PROBABLE. He’s great on “Dexter,” the show just avoided a major vacuum of creativity and is more popular than ever, and the man is currently kicking cancer’s ass. He wins.
Jon Hamm
Hugh Laurie
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
Patricia Arquette
Glenn Close
Mariska Hargitay
Holly Hunter: PROBABLE. At least, I hope so. Why Margulies won last week while Hunter wasn’t even nominated is beyond me.
Julianna Margulies
Kyra Sedgewick
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin: PROBABLE. Baldwin takes “30 Rock’s” consolation prize, else the show walks home empty-handed. The dark horse could be Shaloub, whose show recently went off the air with a touch of deserved sentimentality.
Steve Carrell
Larry David
Tony Shaloub
Charlie Sheen
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
Christina Applegate
Toni Collette: PROBABLE. She plays up to four roles an episode. Exhausting, plus it holds the weak premise of the show together (barely).
Edie Falco
Tina Fey
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Kevin Bacon: PROBABLE. It’s a TV movie, yes, but he’s also Kevin Bacon, and sadly this puts his recent movie roles to shame.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Jeremy Irons
Kevin Kline
Tom Wilkinson
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Joan Allen
Drew Barrymore: PROBABLE. “Grey Gardens” was just like a theatrical release, save for the fact that Barrymore was actually quite good in it. My earlier prediction that she and Lange would split the vote turned out to be false earlier, but if anyone could steal, it’s be Dee.
Ruby Dee
Jessica Lange
Sigourney Weaver
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
Public Enemies
Star Trek: PROBABLE. Great movie, and it had lots of hand-to-hand combat and jumping around.
Transformers 2
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:
24
The Closer
Dexter
Heroes: PROBABLE? A boring note to go out on.
The Unit
These awards generally tend to be quiet and reserved—unless someone particularly raucous wins something (cough, Sean Penn, cough). Not much fanfare, not much coverage on the red carpet.
These awards may claim to be about acting, but really the main departure from the Golden Globes is that of pretension and class. There are only a few awards to be won and it tends to be a pretty inoffensive show. Onwards!
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
An Education
The Hurt Locker: PROBABLE. This is where they get to make their Best Picture winner guess. “Slumdog Millionaire” won last year, and the young stars of that haven’t done much of anything this past year. “Hurt Locker” is a critical favorite and actually features some top-notch acting in addition to its heady subject matter.
Inglorious Basterds
Nine
Precious
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges
George Clooney
Colin Firth: PROBABLE. Gay rights are still the hot thing, especially out in Hollywood. Bridges will likely take the Oscar but I can’t see Firth being ignored totally by his peers.
Morgan Freeman
Jeremy Renner
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock
Helen Mirren
Carey Mulligan
Gabourey Sidbe
Meryl Streep: PROBABLE. There can never be a category where both Meryl Streep AND Helen Mirren get ignored, can they? This a tiny bit of a crapshoot. “Julie and Julia” premeired and Streep was the shoo-in. Then “Precious” came out, and Sidbe could have ridden that film’s popularity to the finish. “An Education” seemed to blow everyone away, but since, Mulligan has yet to receive anything for her performance. Bullock got lucky last week at the Golden Globes, and I would be more shocked than Mickey Rourke to see her win again.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon
Woody Harrelson
Christopher Plummer
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz: PROBABLE. This is the one I’d bet on. I can be confident here. None of these other actors were as vital to their film as Waltz was to “Inglourious Basterds.”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz
Vera Farmiga
Anna Kendrick
Diane Kruger
Mo’Nique: PROBABLE. Her win last week solidified my theory. Actors love to see other actors lose their shit onscreen. It’s a performance most would describe as “fearless” (I prefer “shameless”) and has personal relevance to her. It would be hard for her not to win.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men: PROBABLE. A classy, well designed show that’s also low-key enough to sit back every week and let its actors do the work. This season also showcased each major character at some sort of crossroads. Really good stuff.
True Blood
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm: PROBABLE. It’s like giving an award to “Sienfeld.” There’s been a huge “30 Rock” backlash and I can assure that neither it nor “The Office” will walk away with the prize.
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
Simon Baker
Brian Cranston
Michael C. Hall: PROBABLE. He’s great on “Dexter,” the show just avoided a major vacuum of creativity and is more popular than ever, and the man is currently kicking cancer’s ass. He wins.
Jon Hamm
Hugh Laurie
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
Patricia Arquette
Glenn Close
Mariska Hargitay
Holly Hunter: PROBABLE. At least, I hope so. Why Margulies won last week while Hunter wasn’t even nominated is beyond me.
Julianna Margulies
Kyra Sedgewick
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin: PROBABLE. Baldwin takes “30 Rock’s” consolation prize, else the show walks home empty-handed. The dark horse could be Shaloub, whose show recently went off the air with a touch of deserved sentimentality.
Steve Carrell
Larry David
Tony Shaloub
Charlie Sheen
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
Christina Applegate
Toni Collette: PROBABLE. She plays up to four roles an episode. Exhausting, plus it holds the weak premise of the show together (barely).
Edie Falco
Tina Fey
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Kevin Bacon: PROBABLE. It’s a TV movie, yes, but he’s also Kevin Bacon, and sadly this puts his recent movie roles to shame.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Jeremy Irons
Kevin Kline
Tom Wilkinson
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Joan Allen
Drew Barrymore: PROBABLE. “Grey Gardens” was just like a theatrical release, save for the fact that Barrymore was actually quite good in it. My earlier prediction that she and Lange would split the vote turned out to be false earlier, but if anyone could steal, it’s be Dee.
Ruby Dee
Jessica Lange
Sigourney Weaver
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
Public Enemies
Star Trek: PROBABLE. Great movie, and it had lots of hand-to-hand combat and jumping around.
Transformers 2
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:
24
The Closer
Dexter
Heroes: PROBABLE? A boring note to go out on.
The Unit
These awards generally tend to be quiet and reserved—unless someone particularly raucous wins something (cough, Sean Penn, cough). Not much fanfare, not much coverage on the red carpet.
January 17, 2010
Golden Globes 2010
Golden Globes 2010
The Golden Globes kick off the movie awards season, so they are noteworthy only because most of the major players turn out to be repeats, and there are so many categories that the awards actually tend to be given out at a reasonable pace. Ricky Gervais is hosting and it will certainly be an entertaining three hours of television.
That said, I haven’t gotten the chance to see many of the year’s biggest pictures. Case in point, I missed: “Up,” “Up In the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Lovely Bones,” “An Education,” “A Single Man” and probably more that will rightfully get noticed.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: I saw only “Basterds” and “Avatar,” and am not rooting for either. I think “Hurt Locker” is a frontrunner.
• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker: Probable
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA:I missed every single one of these performances and the movies that go with them.
• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education: Probable
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: Again, I didn’t see a single one of these.
• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man: Probable
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers
BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Strangely, I’ve seen all but “It’s Complicated,” which I plan on seeing soon. I had a lighthearted year.
• (500) Days of Summer: Preferable?
• The Hangover: Probable
• It's Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: A weird category. Streep may be hurt by the double nomination. Cotillard returned to form after the lackluster “Public Enemies” and gave an impossibly good performance in a flawed movie.
• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine: Preferable
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia: Probable
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: This was a great year for classic Hollywood leading men in very unexpected parts. George Clooney belongs here, not on the “Drama” side.
• Matt Damon, The Informant!: Probable
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer: Preferable
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: No contest. Pixar always wins. A great set of nominees.
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: Preferable
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up: Probable
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: I haven’t heard much American buzz about any of these, but it is the Hollywood Foreign Press.
• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)
• The White Ribbon (Germany): Possible?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: the “Up in the Air” ladies will split the vote. Mo’Nique has the sort of balls to the wall, disgustingly go for broke performance that generally wins things.
• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique, Precious: Probable
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: it will be most disappointing if Waltz loses because of the insanity of the movie—his performance was quite refined; elegant, in a way.
• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger: Probable
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST DIRECTOR: Here it’s a toss-up between Bigelow, whose movie has gotten nothing but good press, and Cameron, who worked tirelessly for years to get “Avatar’s” technical achievements perfect.
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar: Probable
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
BEST SCREENPLAY: Maybe here is where “District 9” is appeased?
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9: Probable
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: the “Up” score was brilliantly expressive, and hopefully Giacchino will be recognized as the best composer of the year, also creating a strong hook for “Star Trek” last spring.
• Michael Giacchino, Up: Probable and very preferable
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: I hope no one wins.
• "Cinema Italiano," Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine)
• "I Want to Come Home," Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney (Everybody's Fine)
• "I Will See You," Music by James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell (Avatar)
• "The Weary Kind," Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)
• "Winter," Music by U2; Lyrics by Bono (Brothers)
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Mad Men had an incredible season, while the other four shows coasted.
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• Mad Men: Preferable and Probable
• True Blood
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Sedgwick and Jones, the two seeming shoo-ins, did not thrill this year.
• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men: Probable
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men: Probable
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Here there is possibility a surprise. “Glee” was the smash hit of the season. “30 Rock” is being judged for a poor season while a superior one airs, and “Modern Family” must have been nominated for a reason, right? Meanwhile, “Entourage” is approaching self-parody, and “The Office” had a series of bumpy episodes in a lukewarm season.
• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Glee: Possible
• Modern Family: Preferable
• The Office
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Tina Fey’s popularity, while not waning, is hardly rising after the Palin afterglow has worn off. Collette won the Emmy but the enthusiasm about her show has not sustained.
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara: Probable
• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock: Preferable
• Lea Michele, Glee
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: “30 Rock” may be losing some steam, but Baldwin seems to be the last remaining solid double the series has.
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock: Preferable and Probable
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee
BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: “Grey Gardens” got a lot of attention when it premiered. Pay attention. It’s good for you.
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Grey Gardens: Probable
• Into the Storm
• Little Dorrit
• Taking Chance
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: It’s difficult to tell because I haven’t seen a single one.
• Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keefe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler: Possible?
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: I wouldn’t know.
• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiewetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm: Possible?
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O'Keefe
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: Jane Lynch was the breakout star of “Glee,” which featured otherwise bland (and sometimes bad) casting choices.
• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee: Preferable and Probable
• Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
• Chloë Sevigny, Big Love
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: NPH has been ignored for so long it seems silly to predict he’ll get any love now.
• Michael Emerson, Lost: Probable?
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother: Preferable
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Granted, this list is flawed. I have “Avatar” all but shut out, and “30 Rock” as well. But that said, the Golden Globes exist only to set our watches to the town clock and feel what the people that matter seem to be feeling.
The Golden Globes kick off the movie awards season, so they are noteworthy only because most of the major players turn out to be repeats, and there are so many categories that the awards actually tend to be given out at a reasonable pace. Ricky Gervais is hosting and it will certainly be an entertaining three hours of television.
That said, I haven’t gotten the chance to see many of the year’s biggest pictures. Case in point, I missed: “Up,” “Up In the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Lovely Bones,” “An Education,” “A Single Man” and probably more that will rightfully get noticed.
BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: I saw only “Basterds” and “Avatar,” and am not rooting for either. I think “Hurt Locker” is a frontrunner.
• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker: Probable
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA:I missed every single one of these performances and the movies that go with them.
• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education: Probable
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA: Again, I didn’t see a single one of these.
• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man: Probable
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers
BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Strangely, I’ve seen all but “It’s Complicated,” which I plan on seeing soon. I had a lighthearted year.
• (500) Days of Summer: Preferable?
• The Hangover: Probable
• It's Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: A weird category. Streep may be hurt by the double nomination. Cotillard returned to form after the lackluster “Public Enemies” and gave an impossibly good performance in a flawed movie.
• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine: Preferable
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia: Probable
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: This was a great year for classic Hollywood leading men in very unexpected parts. George Clooney belongs here, not on the “Drama” side.
• Matt Damon, The Informant!: Probable
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer: Preferable
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: No contest. Pixar always wins. A great set of nominees.
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox: Preferable
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up: Probable
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: I haven’t heard much American buzz about any of these, but it is the Hollywood Foreign Press.
• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)
• The White Ribbon (Germany): Possible?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: the “Up in the Air” ladies will split the vote. Mo’Nique has the sort of balls to the wall, disgustingly go for broke performance that generally wins things.
• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique, Precious: Probable
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE: it will be most disappointing if Waltz loses because of the insanity of the movie—his performance was quite refined; elegant, in a way.
• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger: Probable
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST DIRECTOR: Here it’s a toss-up between Bigelow, whose movie has gotten nothing but good press, and Cameron, who worked tirelessly for years to get “Avatar’s” technical achievements perfect.
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar: Probable
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
BEST SCREENPLAY: Maybe here is where “District 9” is appeased?
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9: Probable
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds: Preferable
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: the “Up” score was brilliantly expressive, and hopefully Giacchino will be recognized as the best composer of the year, also creating a strong hook for “Star Trek” last spring.
• Michael Giacchino, Up: Probable and very preferable
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: I hope no one wins.
• "Cinema Italiano," Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine)
• "I Want to Come Home," Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney (Everybody's Fine)
• "I Will See You," Music by James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell (Avatar)
• "The Weary Kind," Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)
• "Winter," Music by U2; Lyrics by Bono (Brothers)
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Mad Men had an incredible season, while the other four shows coasted.
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• Mad Men: Preferable and Probable
• True Blood
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA: Sedgwick and Jones, the two seeming shoo-ins, did not thrill this year.
• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men: Probable
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA
• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men: Probable
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love
BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Here there is possibility a surprise. “Glee” was the smash hit of the season. “30 Rock” is being judged for a poor season while a superior one airs, and “Modern Family” must have been nominated for a reason, right? Meanwhile, “Entourage” is approaching self-parody, and “The Office” had a series of bumpy episodes in a lukewarm season.
• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Glee: Possible
• Modern Family: Preferable
• The Office
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: Tina Fey’s popularity, while not waning, is hardly rising after the Palin afterglow has worn off. Collette won the Emmy but the enthusiasm about her show has not sustained.
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara: Probable
• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock: Preferable
• Lea Michele, Glee
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL: “30 Rock” may be losing some steam, but Baldwin seems to be the last remaining solid double the series has.
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock: Preferable and Probable
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee
BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: “Grey Gardens” got a lot of attention when it premiered. Pay attention. It’s good for you.
• Georgia O'Keefe
• Grey Gardens: Probable
• Into the Storm
• Little Dorrit
• Taking Chance
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: It’s difficult to tell because I haven’t seen a single one.
• Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keefe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler: Possible?
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: I wouldn’t know.
• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiewetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm: Possible?
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O'Keefe
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: Jane Lynch was the breakout star of “Glee,” which featured otherwise bland (and sometimes bad) casting choices.
• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee: Preferable and Probable
• Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
• Chloë Sevigny, Big Love
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION: NPH has been ignored for so long it seems silly to predict he’ll get any love now.
• Michael Emerson, Lost: Probable?
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother: Preferable
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Granted, this list is flawed. I have “Avatar” all but shut out, and “30 Rock” as well. But that said, the Golden Globes exist only to set our watches to the town clock and feel what the people that matter seem to be feeling.
January 3, 2010
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
There is a lot to like about the new Sherlock Holmes feature, but Guy Ritchie’s latest film evokes a few others, intentionally or no. The first that jumps to mind is “Bridget Jones,” solely due to the casting. Brits grumbled when Renee Zellwegger sloppily tried to capture the flighty charm of Helen Fielding’s character, but her undisputable foreign-ness was a roadblock nearly insurmountable. Robert Downey Jr., with his generally good but occasionally patchy accent, faces the same wrath.
The other film this one closely resembles is “Sweeney Todd.” Ritchie seems to be borrowing the CGI streets and artificial darkness Tim Burton put to use in 2007. It almost seems to serve as a companion piece. As Ritchie zooms through mysterious alleyways, chasing cloaked villains, one could almost expect to see Mrs. Lovett pining on a street corner, advertising her pie shop. As much as that film was about the discontent of gutter-dwelling murderers, this film is the opposite. Holmes and Watson enjoy their upper-class life in London, and I could hazard a guess that relocation would be impossible.
Arthur Conan Doyle captured the Victorian era in England well; only Charles Dickens can compete with him. And the beloved sleuth, pipe and stiff upper lip in tow, is the character that best summarizes the period, particularly for foreign audiences. In the past, English actors have gone at it with performances ranging from literally insane (Michael Caine) to ham-fisted (Rupert Everett), but the most beloved is the tweedy, intellectual sort, personified by Basil Rathborne in a “we are not amused” manner that characterizes the times more than it adapted Doyle’s book. In the original writings, Holmes was a drug-addicted, athletic man, and Watson was a competent doctor and soldier. This film takes those characters back to those types, and draws from the actors to create the rest of their dimensions.
Downey Jr. makes a convincing detective. Noticing that his wife is one of the producers of the film, I can’t help but wonder if she had any hand in his participation. He is equipped with his usual Method-y immersion into the world and character, but in the past has been less than skilled at where to point that entire obsessive, exhausting energy. His current hot streak of winning performances in films that match his talent causes me to raise an eyebrow and applaud Mrs. Downey if she’s been able to influence her husband as positively in his professional life as she seems to have been able to contain him in his now very reasonable private one. Enjoying every minute of paranoid sleuthing, Downey Jr. is both charming and, at times, petulant as a child, his talent for mystery solving leaving him emotionally stunted. He is no longer the frowning straight man, but the bumbling fool, a constant mess of corduroy jackets and patterned ties.
Jude Law plays Watson, and brings his typical more-English-than-you pout to the role. His attempts at annoyance constantly flirt with whining, and sometimes the bickering duo can come across too simpering, and, frankly, there is an element of feminine sabotage to their push-pull of a relationship. Law constantly kicks down doors, fences, and people, but he never has the physicality the role requires. His refinement, however, does play nicely off of Downey’s lack of ease. Law is quite capable of surly stillness and silence, and when he is in that mode he does his best acting.
Unfortunately, the film seems too preoccupied with its own homoeroticism. Both Holmes and Watson get love interests, the only point of which seems to be to disguise the sexual tension between the two leads. Rather than dissolve that attraction, however, Holmes’ attempts to seduce Watson back to 221B Baker Street to continue their gallivanting ways seem for reasons even more pronouncedly sexual. Holmes’ own love interest, played unconvincingly by Rachel McAdams (who just five years ago was still pretending to be in high school) really only appears to make Holmes seem more manly. Look! Sherlock kisses girls! But even Downey Jr. loses credibility in those scenes, and judging by the mysterious emission of some that appeared in the previews featuring McAdams in fishnets and lacy underthings, not even the editing room could make them work. Her random, totally modern American accent—she's supposed to be from New Jersey, technically, as the script clunkily tells us—just serves as another reminder that she is the typical, last-minute-addition, femme fatale. It all seems as threadbare as the kiss between Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann in the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, and “Sherlock Holmes” would have wasted far less time without her.
But those problems are something that the inevitable franchise will have to address in the future. What Ritchie and company have made here is a quite decent origin story. And like all other origin stories, there are setbacks. Every detail of every character must be painstakingly set up, and all without the relief of any standout supporting players or “the” villain. Like the Joker didn’t appear until “The Dark Knight,” so too does the major villain stay absent from this picture. But for an hour and a half, it’s entertaining to see Downey bring all of his Downey-isms to a stately Englishman and cavorting around town with Jude Law in his checkered coat and walking stick.
Both men are incredibly attractive. That is not to be overlooked.
My initial reaction at seeing the trailer was, “Holmes as Bond.” That viewpoint hasn’t changed much. Holmes is, for the moment, an action flick that has incredible potential to reach far deeper in the next go-round.
There is a lot to like about the new Sherlock Holmes feature, but Guy Ritchie’s latest film evokes a few others, intentionally or no. The first that jumps to mind is “Bridget Jones,” solely due to the casting. Brits grumbled when Renee Zellwegger sloppily tried to capture the flighty charm of Helen Fielding’s character, but her undisputable foreign-ness was a roadblock nearly insurmountable. Robert Downey Jr., with his generally good but occasionally patchy accent, faces the same wrath.
The other film this one closely resembles is “Sweeney Todd.” Ritchie seems to be borrowing the CGI streets and artificial darkness Tim Burton put to use in 2007. It almost seems to serve as a companion piece. As Ritchie zooms through mysterious alleyways, chasing cloaked villains, one could almost expect to see Mrs. Lovett pining on a street corner, advertising her pie shop. As much as that film was about the discontent of gutter-dwelling murderers, this film is the opposite. Holmes and Watson enjoy their upper-class life in London, and I could hazard a guess that relocation would be impossible.
Arthur Conan Doyle captured the Victorian era in England well; only Charles Dickens can compete with him. And the beloved sleuth, pipe and stiff upper lip in tow, is the character that best summarizes the period, particularly for foreign audiences. In the past, English actors have gone at it with performances ranging from literally insane (Michael Caine) to ham-fisted (Rupert Everett), but the most beloved is the tweedy, intellectual sort, personified by Basil Rathborne in a “we are not amused” manner that characterizes the times more than it adapted Doyle’s book. In the original writings, Holmes was a drug-addicted, athletic man, and Watson was a competent doctor and soldier. This film takes those characters back to those types, and draws from the actors to create the rest of their dimensions.
Downey Jr. makes a convincing detective. Noticing that his wife is one of the producers of the film, I can’t help but wonder if she had any hand in his participation. He is equipped with his usual Method-y immersion into the world and character, but in the past has been less than skilled at where to point that entire obsessive, exhausting energy. His current hot streak of winning performances in films that match his talent causes me to raise an eyebrow and applaud Mrs. Downey if she’s been able to influence her husband as positively in his professional life as she seems to have been able to contain him in his now very reasonable private one. Enjoying every minute of paranoid sleuthing, Downey Jr. is both charming and, at times, petulant as a child, his talent for mystery solving leaving him emotionally stunted. He is no longer the frowning straight man, but the bumbling fool, a constant mess of corduroy jackets and patterned ties.
Jude Law plays Watson, and brings his typical more-English-than-you pout to the role. His attempts at annoyance constantly flirt with whining, and sometimes the bickering duo can come across too simpering, and, frankly, there is an element of feminine sabotage to their push-pull of a relationship. Law constantly kicks down doors, fences, and people, but he never has the physicality the role requires. His refinement, however, does play nicely off of Downey’s lack of ease. Law is quite capable of surly stillness and silence, and when he is in that mode he does his best acting.
Unfortunately, the film seems too preoccupied with its own homoeroticism. Both Holmes and Watson get love interests, the only point of which seems to be to disguise the sexual tension between the two leads. Rather than dissolve that attraction, however, Holmes’ attempts to seduce Watson back to 221B Baker Street to continue their gallivanting ways seem for reasons even more pronouncedly sexual. Holmes’ own love interest, played unconvincingly by Rachel McAdams (who just five years ago was still pretending to be in high school) really only appears to make Holmes seem more manly. Look! Sherlock kisses girls! But even Downey Jr. loses credibility in those scenes, and judging by the mysterious emission of some that appeared in the previews featuring McAdams in fishnets and lacy underthings, not even the editing room could make them work. Her random, totally modern American accent—she's supposed to be from New Jersey, technically, as the script clunkily tells us—just serves as another reminder that she is the typical, last-minute-addition, femme fatale. It all seems as threadbare as the kiss between Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann in the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, and “Sherlock Holmes” would have wasted far less time without her.
But those problems are something that the inevitable franchise will have to address in the future. What Ritchie and company have made here is a quite decent origin story. And like all other origin stories, there are setbacks. Every detail of every character must be painstakingly set up, and all without the relief of any standout supporting players or “the” villain. Like the Joker didn’t appear until “The Dark Knight,” so too does the major villain stay absent from this picture. But for an hour and a half, it’s entertaining to see Downey bring all of his Downey-isms to a stately Englishman and cavorting around town with Jude Law in his checkered coat and walking stick.
Both men are incredibly attractive. That is not to be overlooked.
My initial reaction at seeing the trailer was, “Holmes as Bond.” That viewpoint hasn’t changed much. Holmes is, for the moment, an action flick that has incredible potential to reach far deeper in the next go-round.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)