Sure enough, the first week of December brings the first formal slew of awards nominations, today's coming from Film Independent's Spirit Awards. The Hollywood Reporter bring us the list of nominees, with dramas Ballast, Frozen River and Rachel Getting Married each tied for the most nominations (six a piece, including Best Feature; the other two nominees there are Wendy and Lucy and The Wrestler).
Now, these awards aren't necessarily Oscar precursors or anything -- some of these films are just too small -- but it's difficult to deny that the likes of Milk, The Visitor, The Wrestler, Rachel, River and documentary contender Man on Wire are all looking at the first of many nominations in the coming weeks, most of which I can safely say are or will be deserving. I can't speak for Ballast, but it's been earning attention in the indie world for months and months, so do as I do and keep an eye out for it.
The greatest assurance can only be taken once the Spirit Awards are awarded on February 21. See the full list of nominees after the jump.
Cinematical has just received this exclusive final poster for The Reader, starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Stephen Daldry (The Hours) and based on Bernhard Schlink's bestselling novel, The Reader is one of those talked-about flicks currently circling the Oscar pool trying to decide when it should jump in. From the synopsis: THE READER opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from "The Odyssey", "Huck Finn", and "The Lady with the Little Dog." Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken.
Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. THE READER is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.
The Readeropens in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on December 10, before expanding on December 25 and opening nationwide on January 9. Check out the film's official website here, the trailer here and a larger version of the poster below.
In a fitting move to, ahem, milk the boycott against Cinemark Theaters and its subsidiaries for having openly supported Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage, moviegoers are now being encouraged to see Gus van Sant's new film, Milk -- a biopic about Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn), who valiantly fought for gay rights before his tragic death in 1978 -- at any theater but those owned by Cinemark.
The website No MILK for Cinemark! also feature a printable PDF for flyers that say as much, as well as a link to its corresponding Facebook group, which had over 17,000 members as of this writing. Their revised aim is to cost the business $10,000, or equivalent to the amount donated by CEO Alan Stock to the Yes on 8 campaign.
It's a film well worth watching, though I can't say much (and don't really need to -- our James Rocchi will say his piece soon enough), but chances are that those going to see this film will be equally willing to give this movement some consideration.
Above you will find the two For Your Consideration ads for The Dark Knightthat have been running in Variety this week. One promotes Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor, while the other targets a Best Picture nomination for the film itself. With The Dark Knight approaching $1 billion at the box office, it'd be a stupid move on the Academy's part to not give this flick the credit it deserves. From a ratings standpoint, knowing The Dark Knight is up for a few big awards (including Best Picture) would probably bring in tons more viewers, and, well, from a normal human being standpoint, the movie is freaking awesome! Give it some love!
Of course, it's a comic book movie and we all know the serious adults who vote on Oscars don't take too kindly to them comic book kids stuff. Hopefully, though, they'll see what a terrific job Nolan did with his Batman follow-up and the unbelievable performance Ledger gave as Joker. Should Ledger find his way into a nomination, he'll most likely be up against folks like Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt), Josh Brolin (Milk), Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess) and Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder).
Check out larger versions of the above ads in the gallery below.
Here are some stuff and things for your Tuesday (or shall we call it Almost But Not Quite Twilight Friday Yet Day):
Just Added: We don't have a Captain America just yet, but the film has two writers: The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian) are in negotiations to write The First Avenger: Captain America. The film is currently due in theaters on May 6, 2011.
-- Screw Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight getting nods come Oscar time, we've got one better: How about Miley Cyrus? Yup, The Envelope's Gold Derby shows us how Hannah Montana herself could be up for an Oscar for Best Song due to her writing and singing I Thought I Lost You in Disney's Bolt. Since Disney always owns this category, there's a pretty good chance Cyrus will nab at least a nod -- though, if you want my opinion, Peter Gabriel's Down to Earth (from WALL-E) should take it.
-- The Los Angeles Times spoke to South Park co-creator Trey Parker recently, and found out that the boys might be looking to end the series with another film. While they're contracted until 2011, Parker claims a big-screen finale could be the way to go: "We talked about maybe some day doing a movie to sort of end it all, and that seems like the best idea. That's been a big thought to do the last show as a movie." During the same interview, Parker also says that what eventually became the three-part Imaginationland episode was originally supposed to be their second feature film ... until the guys realized they needed more content for the season. The Imaginationland episode eventually went on to win an Emmy.
With the news that the musical score from The Dark Knight has been disqualified from Academy Awards consideration on the grounds that too many people were credited with composing it, outrage against the Academy's stringent, complicated rules has erupted afresh. In the interest of fueling this indignation and making the world an angrier place, let's take a belligerent march down memory lane and look at seven other controversial disqualifications.
The Jazz Singer disqualified for being a talkie. When the very first Academy Awards were held in May 1929, honoring films released between August 1927 and July 1928, everyone was talking about The Jazz Singer -- the first feature-length movie to use recorded sound in some of its talking and singing scenes. So great was the attention that the Academy disqualified the film from the inaugural Best Picture category, reasoning that its use of sound put it on an uneven playing field against the films still stuck in silence. Instead, the Academy gave Warner Bros. a special award "for producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry." It's true, too! I don't know if you've noticed, but pretty much all movies nowadays have talking in them.
Young Americans disqualified from Best Documentary category ... after it already won. Whoops. This is a sad case, and a unique one. The documentary, about the peppy Young Americans show choir, won the Oscar at the 1969 ceremony for being the best feature-length documentary of 1968. But a few weeks later, the Academy discovered that the film had screened at a theater in October 1967, making it eligible for that year's awards and not for 1968. The Academy actually took back the Oscar statues from the filmmakers, Alex Grasshoff and Robert Cohn, and gave the award to the film that had been first runner-up. When Grasshoff died earlier this year, his widow told the Los Angeles Times how heartbroken he'd been. Can you imagine?
In a week littered with plenty of big-budget trailers piggy-backing on James Bond's undeniable popularity (Quantum of Solace just had the biggest opening day of any Bond film to date), the new one for Sam Mendes' domestic drama Revolutionary Road very nearly slipped through the cracks (thanks to Rob for passing it on, and Variety'sAnne Thompson for premiering it).
This trailer plays more like a teaser than its predecessor, and yet it's a simple and short way to lure one into the suburban woes of stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. The very slightest rumbles and mumbles of its worthiness as an awards contender this season are beginning to issue from the earliest guild screenings, and I suspect that the weeks to come will only bring more buzz before the film bows in limited release the day after Christmas -- the same strategy that Paramount Vantage employed last year with a little film they like to call There Will Be Blood. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should really get back to this book Eugene kept going on about...
On page 11 of the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, next to an article about the Oscar race, there is this brief item:
"Earning some of the harshest reviews of the year, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is officially the first Holocaust movie that won't have a shot at winning an Oscar."
What?
First of all, it's not even true. There have been several Holocaust movies that never had a serious chance at an Oscar. Robin Williams' loathsome Jakob the Liar comes to mind. (Whoops, EWliked that one.) But I get that EW is exaggerating for the sake of a joke about how Holocaust movies "always" get Oscar attention. Fair enough.
The more baffling assertion is that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is "earning some of the harshest reviews of the year." It has gotten a few very scathing reviews, that's true -- but they comprise a very small minority. The film has a 64% Fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. Saying it's earning some of the harshest reviews of the year while failing to mention the overwhelming majority that aren't harsh is like saying "some people" hate ice cream. It might be true, but it's misleading when you're looking at the big picture.
And are the harsh ones really that harsh? I tend to think the fiery excoriations of Disaster Movie and Witless Protection were much harsher, though I guess that's a matter of opinion.
First, the obligatory Slumdog Millionaire endorsement. I saw it in Telluride, for which I am now grateful, but at the time I cursed the fates. Why? Because I couldn't buy another ticket and go see it again then and there. It opens tomorrow, November 12th, in a bunch of cities, and will trickle on out from there. It's rousing, and wonderful, and I can pretty much guarantee you'll love it.
The feel-frickin'-awesome movie of the year was directed by Danny Boyle, whose Millions hinted at his capacity for big-hearted fairy tales, but who is known for darker material. His biggest hit until a couple of weeks from now is the 2003 zombie horror flick 28 Days Later. He gave up the reins of the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, to talented Spaniard Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (whose Intacto was unjustly ignored six years previous), who wound up upstaging him with what was -- to my mind -- a vastly superior film.
The latest had been that up-and-coming horror director Paul Andrew Williams would be stepping behind the camera for the upcoming 28 Months Later. But now Boyle himself has thrown a wrench into that plan. Though he refused to discuss his idea for the third film, he told a table full of journalists that he'd like to return and direct it himself. "I'd certainly like to... I feel the idea is quite a strong idea, and it could well involve directing it. Yeah, absolutely."
We'll see what happens after Slumdog earns Boyle his first Oscar nods. I actually have faith that he won't abandon genre films -- he's so dang good at them (though I think his best showcase in that respect is actually Sunshine). I still prefer Fresnadillo's take on the 28 franchise, but on the other hand Danny Boyle is my new hero. Mixed feelings.
The Italian films Il Divo and Gomorra hogged the spotlight at Saturday's announcement of the European Film Award nominations, with five nods apiece, including best picture. "But wait," you might be saying if you're not European. "Why do the European Film Awards matter to me? I'm not European!"
They matter because you love foreign films, that's why. OK, and also because the EFAs often presage the Academy Awards. Recent EFA best picture winners have included such Oscar-scented titles as The Lives of Others, Talk to Her, Amelie, and Dancer in the Dark. Gomorra -- which is apparently about skinny underwear models who shoot guns at the beach -- has been submitted as Italy's Oscar hopeful and now seems like a surefire nominee, thanks to its EFA attention. The other EFA best picture nominees are The Class (France's Oscar submission), Waltz with Bashir (Israel's submission), Happy-Go-Lucky (whose star, Sally Hawkins, has generated Oscar buzz), and The Orphanage (which was eligible for Oscar consideration last year).
In the director category, the EFA nominees are Laurent Cantet (The Class), Andreas Dresen (Cloud 9), Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir), Matteo Garrone (Gomorra), Steve McQueen (Hunger), and Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo). Also of note: Toni Servillo is named in the best actor category for two performances -- Il Divo and Gomorra. You'd think those were the only two films Italy made this year.
Most of the EFA-nominated films either have U.S. distribution lined up or are already playing here. Success at the awards, to be handed out in Copenhagen on Dec. 8, will increase their visibility in American theaters and may also help their chances at the Oscars. The complete list of nominations is here.
When I first saw Rachel Getting Married in the middle of the Toronto maelstrom, I knew I'd have to see it again before I could write or speak about it coherently. I was sure that I liked it, but not how much -- I couldn't quite make heads or tails of the last third of the film, and having to rush off to another film prevented me from thinking about it. This week, I finally got my second viewing; I like it a lot. But what struck me the most this time around was Bill Irwin's astonishing turn as Paul Buckman, the tortured, loving father of the bride. Irwin has not gotten much love in the reviews, and that is a travesty. He gives the richest, most generous performance I've seen from anyone this year.
The IMDb informs me that Irwin, a veteran character actor, is a mainstay on Sesame Street; Wikipedia reveals that he's a clown by trade. This makes perfect sense, and indeed helps explain his complete humility in Rachel Getting Married. Remember the scene where Rosemarie DeWitt's Rachel, in the middle of an argument with Kym (Anne Hathaway), drops the bombshell that she's pregnant? Paul's reaction might be the film's most memorable moment -- he flips out, screaming and bunny-hopping over to his daughter (it's a testament to Jonathan Demme's brilliance that he puts this in the background of the shot); after things calm down a bit, he still looks like he is about to lovingly devour his family. The way he paws at his wife while randomly growling "Does anybody want a sandwich?!" is worth ten dollars all on its own.
Will the Oscars slowly turn into The MTV Movie Awards by the time we hit, I dunno, 2011? While that might be a stretch, poor ratings and the public's desire to actually see their favorite films of the year nominated and recognized might just sway Academy voters to start showing more love toward more commercial flicks. Like, say, The Dark Knight, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder -- all of which will be receiving an Oscar push in the coming weeks. Also on the agenda, Disney is cooking up a campaign for WALL-E in the Best Picture category even though an animated film has never won the Academy's top award, so says The New York Times. (Note: It will still be possible for WALL-E to be nominated in the Best Animated Film category as well as Best Picture.)
But if there's ever a year for upsets, 2008 is definitely it. The writer's strike and struggling economy really hurt some potential awards contenders (The Roadand The Soloist were pushed back to 2009), and awards buzz on others (Changeling, Frost/Nixon) ain't exactly all that promising. So, heck, in a year where the Tampa Bay Rays make it to the World Series, I don't see why WALL-E shouldn't slip into the Best Picture category. But how do you feel about it? Should the Oscars take a more pop-centric, mass appeal approach going forward? Or should that stuff be reserved for the Teen Choice Awards and MTV Movie Awards? And what about poor old WALL-E? Where does he fit in?
Fine, I'll confess: I had had my doubts about Clint Eastwood's relatively stealthy December drama, Gran Torino... that is, until I watched the just released trailer over at Apple (to go along with the recent poster and push, natch).
The earliest synopsis gave me a vibe not unlike David Cornelius' take on the material, and yet, despite Eastwood in fact yelling at Asian-American youngsters to get off his lawn, he really seems to be letting his direction best serve this performance, which could single-handedly salvage a simple-sounding 'never too late to learn a life lesson' plot and probably garner the attention of a certain Academy that often has room for his work (it doesn't hurt his chances that this may very well be his last effort in front of the cameras).
Let's face it -- the man's got grizzled down pat as an actor, and redemption nailed as a filmmaker, so count myself among those exceedingly curious to see if Gran Torino has what it takes when it formally enters the race in limited release on December 17th.
It's getting to be that magical time of year known as Awards Season, when we pause from our daily lives and tell famous people how awesome they are. As usual, the first shot across the bow comes from the Gotham Independent Film Awards, which announced its nominees today and will hand out the trophies on Dec. 2.
Ballast, a much-honored drama about life and death on the Mississippi delta, scored four nominations -- more than anything else -- in the categories of Best Feature, Breakthrough Director (Lance Hammer), Breakthrough Actor (Michael J. Smith Sr.), and Best Ensemble Performance. It's a notable indie film because it's being distributed independently, too, with Hammer having backed out of a deal with IFC Films to release it himself.
The other Best Feature nominees are Frozen River, The Visitor, The Wrestler, and Synecdoche, New York. Synecdoche will have just barely been released when the awards are presented, and The Wrestler won't have come out at all yet. Wins at the Gotham Awards are often seen as boosting a film's chances at the box office and at the Oscars. Juno, Half Nelson, and Junebug were all Gotham winners that went on to find Oscar glory.
Gotham's website hasn't been udpated to include the full list of nominees yet (there's just a PDF press release), but Variety has the whole rundown here.
What's happening in Hollywood? Does no one have a day planner? Can nobody stick to a schedule? Pushing a film's release date back a week or two isn't a big deal, but when you move it to an entirely different calendar year, that changes everything -- especially its Oscar chances.
As we've already mentioned, rumors are swirling that the Weinsteins' The Road won't be done in time for its November release, and maybe not for December, either. Now we have three more titles on the move. Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere is reporting that the Weinsteins' Hurricane Season, an Inspiring Sports Drama® about a high school basketball team composed of displaced Katrina survivors, is "not ready" for its planned Christmas Day release and is being pushed back to March. And at Paramount, two Oscar hopefuls, Defiance and The Soloist, are being bumped to 2009, too, according to Variety.
The Soloist move is the one that should raise the most eyebrows. A true story starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. (pictured), it has all the hallmarks of a feel-good Oscar contender, and that's how Paramount and DreamWorks (which produced it) were positioning it. But now it's being moved from Thanksgiving to March, which is basically Paramount's way of saying they don't have much confidence in its Oscar potential after all. At the very least, it means they think its chances of making a lot of money (which are higher in March than in the crowded holiday season) are greater than its chances of winning awards. Which might actually be a very smart financial move, so good for them.
Sure enough, the first week of December brings the first formal slew of awards nominations, today's coming from Film Independent's Spirit Awards. The Hollywood Reporter bring us the list of nominees, with dramas Ballast, Frozen River and Rachel Getting Married each tied for the most nominations (six a piece, including Best Feature; the other two nominees there are Wendy and Lucy and The Wrestler)..jpg)
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In a fitting move to, ahem, milk the boycott against Cinemark Theaters and its subsidiaries for having openly supported Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage, moviegoers are now being encouraged to see Gus van Sant's new film, 
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On page 11 of the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, next to an article about the Oscar race, there is this brief item: 
First, the obligatory Slumdog Millionaire endorsement. I saw it in Telluride, for which I am now grateful, but at the time I cursed the fates. Why? Because I couldn't buy another ticket and go see it again then and there. It opens tomorrow, November 12th, in a bunch of cities, and will trickle on out from there. It's rousing, and wonderful, and I can pretty much guarantee you'll love it.
The Italian films 
Fine, I'll confess: I had had my doubts about Clint Eastwood's relatively stealthy December drama, 
It's getting to be that magical time of year known as Awards Season, when we pause from our daily lives and tell famous people how awesome they are. As usual, the first shot across the bow comes from the 
What's happening in Hollywood? Does no one have a day planner? Can nobody stick to a schedule? Pushing a film's release date back a week or two isn't a big deal, but when you move it to an entirely different calendar year, that changes everything -- especially its Oscar chances.
