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April 1, 2008 - I'm Sick Of Movies So That's It, I Quit
If you believe that headline, then you really are an April fool. Whilst there’s not a lot of great stuff out at the moment, I always look forward to going to the movies. I’m particularly keen to see Lars & The Real Girl (nominated for best original screenplay at the Oscars) which opens on Thursday.
April Fool’s Day
Speaking of April Fool’s Day, the day always reminds me of one of my favourite reviews ever written – that of 1997’s Good Burger, a ridiculous Nickelodeon teen comedy. It was written by Mr. Cranky and used a degree of sarcasm that I aspire to achieve. Here’s the link if you'd like to read it: http://www.mrcranky.com/movies/goodburger.html.
Critic Whores
As funny as that was, it’s not easy being a critic sometimes. I write up 2 full length reviews a week and it’s often hard to be original. If a film’s really good or really bad, the review is a lot easier to write. But when it sits in the middle, it’s hard to get the passion to write something creative. Particularly when you’ve got better things to do (like sleep).
Whilst I know I’m no super-dooper critic, I can take comfort in reading about the Critic Whores Of The Year. The list is put out annually by Criticwatch and you can read all about it at http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2346.
The list pays out those critics who get their “quotes” on movie posters, trailers and television ads (particularly those films which are hated by most other critics and which flop at the box-office). I know I’m guilt of some of the clichés they use. There’s some very funny stuff.
I’ve been meaning to send the link through before now so sorry for the delay.
Well, that’s the best I could come up with tonight. Yet another lame Film Pie newsletter. Ah well, you’re the April fool for reading it.
March 25, 2008 - A Tribute To Anthony Minghella
I hope everybody had a great Easter break and was able to see a few movies.
Anthony Minghella
English film director Anthony Minghella died last Wednesday at the age of 54. I know we’re all meant to leave this world at some stage but it’s especially sad in this instance as I think Minghella had a lot of good movies left him. His death certainly was a surprise.
I was a big fan of Anthony Minghella. I first heard of him in 1997 when he wrote and directed The English Patient. It starred Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Colin Firth and Juliette Binoche. The film went on to win 9 Oscars including best movie of the year. Only 4 other films have won more Oscars. It’s a terrific movie (my 9th best of 1997) and if you haven’t seen it, you can check out the trailer on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMXFtHaVscM. It’s one of those trailers that perfectly sums up the full film.
I like this extract from an article in which Minghella talks about the movie – He said too many modern films let the audience be passive, as if they were saying, "We're going to rock you and thrill you. We'll do everything for you. This film goes absolutely against that grain," he said. "It says, `I'm sorry, but you're going to have to make some connections. There are some puzzles here. The story will constantly rethread itself and it will be elliptical, but there are enormous rewards in that.'"
Three years later, he wrote and directed The Talented Mr. Ripley. I’ve read this book and this movie still stands as one of the very few where the movie manages to capture the essence of the entire book. It was my 9th best of 2000 and I’ve seen it many times since. It starred Matt Damon (an amazing performance), Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett. It’s a film that has really grown on me. When I listed my top 50 movies as a critic back in 2005 (covering the previous 10 years), I listed the film at number 38. You can see the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nejtJgXcDo.
Next up for Minghella was Cold Mountain in 2003. It wasn’t my favourite Minghella film but I still liked it a lot (grading was an A-). It starred Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Renee Zellweger. The trailer can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXGtunJ9Jqk.
There were other Minghella films. One of his most high regarded films was his first – Truly Madly Deeply in 1990. I have to confess that I’ve never seen it. His last film was Breaking & Entering (with Juliette Binoche and Jude Law) which is the only one of his films that I didn’t like. Maybe I need to see it again.
Minghella was good friends with the legendary writer-director-producer Sydney Pollack (who is also quite ill at the moment). They produced a number of films together including Iris, Heaven, The Quiet American, The Interpreter, Catch A Fire and Michael Clayton. Pollack had this to say last week on Minghella’s passing… "He was a kind of poet, disciplined by reality, an academic by training, a musician by nature, a compulsive reader by habit, and to most observers, a sunny soul who exuded a gentleness that should never have been mistaken for lack of tenacity and resolve. The cliche that you don't know anyone well until you've lived through wars with them, is an absolute truth. Sometimes making films is a form of war. Having weathered several with Anthony, I will tell you that his dignity never softened, his artistry never suffered, and his mind remained as sharp and clear in wartime as it was in quietude."
Anthony Minghella certainly left his mark on the film world. He won an Oscar for best director for The English Patient. He also received nominations for his adapted screenplays for The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley. His films also helped some his actors pick up Oscar glory – Juliette Binoche won best supporting actress in 1997 for The English Patient and Renee Zellweger won best supporting actress in 2004 for Cold Mountain.
He will certainly be missed.
Paul Scofield
One day after Anthony Minghella’s death, word filtered through of the passing of veteran actor Paul Scofield at the age of 86. Scofield’s credits included A Man For A Seasons, Scorpio, Henry V, Quiz Show and The Crucible. He won an Oscar (best actor in 1967 for A Man For All Seasons) and received another nomination 28 years later (in 1995 for Quiz Show). He also won 3 British Academy Awards.
I remember Scofield in both Quiz Show and The Crucible and they were terrific performances. He didn’t make a lot of movies but when he was on screen, he knew how to stand out. He had a powerful presence. Another sad loss.
A New Cinema In Brisbane!
Palace are opening a new cinema in Brisbane! It will be located at the redeveloped Police Barracks area in Petrie Terrace – just opposite Caxton Street. There will be 6 cinemas and they will all be licensed. Construction is underway and the cinemas will be opened in late 2008.
This is exciting news as I rate the Palace Centro cinemas at New Farm as being the equal best in Brisbane (tied with the Balmoral Cinemas). I can’t wait to see them.
Australian Film Festival
The Australian Film Festival wrapped up in London last week. I heard some good reports from those London Film Pie readers who were able to make it along – thanks for the feedback.
That’ll do it for this week. Catch ya!
March 18, 2008 - Favourite Film Titles
Why, hello there.
What’s With All These Movies???
I’ve finally caught up on my movies (I don’t even want to count how many I’ve seen in the past month). The sad news is that there are 8 new films out this Thursday. What is going on??? How can these films all be making money?
A few weeks ago, I saw 2 films on
a Sunday. The first was called Martian Child (with John Cusack) and I saw it at
the BCC Myer Centre Cinemas around 11:30am. The second was called Talk To Me
(with Don Cheadle) and I saw it at the BCC Indooroopilly Cinemas around 9pm.
They were both decent films and I’d give them a recommendation. The interesting
thing was that I was the only person in both cinemas! I’ve been to movies
before where I’ve been the only sucker in the cinema but not twice in one day.
From my perspective, this only further adds to the case that there are just too
many movies out there. The smaller ones get lost in the hype of the bigger
ones. I shouldn’t complain too much though as at least it gives us options. I received an invite to the Australian premiere of Nim’s Island (with Jodie Foster in appearance) this Thursday but just couldn’t find time to squeeze it in.
French Film Festival
The French Film Festival kicks off in le Brisbane from this Thursday. There are a total of 36 films being screened between March 20 and March 30 at the Palace Centro Cinemas in New Farm. Adult tickets are $16 for most screenings. One of the major films being shown is The Secret Of The Grain (which won 5 Cesar Awards including best film). The Cesars are the French equivalent of the Oscars. I saw an advance screening of The Secret Of The Grain recently and liked what I saw – it wasn’t your usual French type movie (i.e. big name stars, fluffy plot, lots of sex/nudity). I also had a chance to talk to the new Director of the Alliance Francaise here in Brisbane, Damien Hubert. I enjoyed hearing his perspectives on French cinema.
You can find out more about the festival if you’re interested at http://www.frenchfilmfestival.org.
Irish Movies
As I walked home from work tonight, I noticed more drunken people than usual for a Monday night. Of course, it is St. Patrick’s Day. I couldn’t continue without mentioning some of my favourite Irish movies (or films at least set in Ireland). They’ve made a lot of good ones – both serious and funny. I’d have to include Waking Ned Devine, Bloody Sunday, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, The Secret Of Roan Inish, The Butcher Boy, Veronica Guerin, Felicia’s Journey, The Boxer and Michael Clayton.
Favourite Film Titles
I was reading a column this week on another website about film titles. I love a good film title. It just makes me want to go to the movie. I want to walk up to the ticket counter and say “give me one ticket to …”
Sometimes the titles are cool because they’re really long. Other times, they’re cool because they’re really witty. It’s amazing how creative you can get when you’re only able to include a few simple words.
So after scanning through my database of reviews, I thought I’d list out some of my favourite movie titles from recent years. Don’t ask me why I like them, I just do. It’s just a matter of taste. I’m sure readers out there will have their own personal favourites. If you can’t think of any off the top of your head, maybe my list will help trigger some memories.
Ok then, here are the best 10 I could think of (in no particular order)…
Being John Malkovich Face / Off Dirty Pretty Things Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang The Squid And The Whale 10 Things I Hate About You Midnight In The Garden Of Good Of Evil I Know What You Did Last Summer Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Lust, Caution
And here are some (68 in all) honorable mentions…
The People Vs. Larry Flynt Requiem For A Dream Snow Falling On Cedars The Diving Bell And The Butterfly Donnie Darko Good Night, And Good Luck. How To Make An American Quilt Igby Goes Down The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou Lost In Translation No Country For Old Men Punch Drunk Love The Rage In Placid Lake Wag The Dog Y Tu Mama Tambien 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days Breakfast On Pluto Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Deconstructing Harry Gattaca Get Shorty Hedwig And The Angry Inch Inventing The Abbotts The Last Days Of Disco Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels Napoleon Dynamite Playing By Heart Snakes On A Plane There’s Something About Mary Transamerica Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Boogie Nights Catch Me If You Can Friday Night Lights Girl With A Pearl Earring Running With Scissors The Truth About Cats And Dogs Wah-Wah The Neverending Story The Big Lebowski The Usual Suspects Black Snake Moan Boys Don’t Cry The Fifth Element Grosse Pointe Blank Half Nelson The Man Who Wasn’t There Me And You And Everyone We Know Tristram Shandy: A Cock And Bull Story Two If By Sea The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing And Charm School Mars Attacks! A Wreck, A Tangle Ordinary Decent Criminal Paris, je t’aime The Wings Of The Dove Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself The End Of Violence Harry, He’s Here To Help Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas How Stella Got Her Groove Back How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants We Don’t Live Here Anymore Dr. T And The Women He Died With A Felafel In His Hand
I just had to get that off my chest. Until next week!
March 11, 2008 - Previewing This Winter's Big Blockbusters
There are still a lot of movies out at the moment. I’ve managed to catch 8 of them since we last spoke but there’s still a few out there I’d like to catch.
With no major releases on the immediate horizon, I have looked ahead on the release schedule to see what’s coming from the American summer (released here in our winter). So for this week’s Film Pie, I thought I’d list the major films to look out for over the coming months. I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more about them. I’ve stolen the plot descriptions from the Internet Movie Database. Enjoy.
Iron Man (May 1) Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges Plot: When Tony Stark is forced to create a life support suit to keep him alive after an accident he decides to use the technology in his suit to fight crime.
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (May 22) Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt, Ray Winstone Plot: Set at the height of the Cold War in 1957, Indy is in a race for the Crystal Skull against operatives from the Soviet Union.
The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Jun 5) Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jim Broadbent, Rupert Everett, Dawn French, Ray Winstone Plot: The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian.
Sex & The City: The Movie (Jun 5) Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Hudson Plot: Sarah Jessica Parker returns once again as Carrie Bradshaw, the style maven journalist whose romantic exploits were the key focus of the show.
Speed Racer (Jun 12) Starring: Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman Plot: Based on the classic 1960's Japanese animated series chronicling the aspirations of a young race car driver as he attempts to obtain glory, with the help of his family and the Mach 5, the advanced car created by his father.
The Incredible Hulk (Jun 12) Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt Plot: Physicist Bruce Banner takes flight in order to understand -- and hopefully cure -- the condition that turns him into a monster.
Kung Fu Panda (Jun 26) Starring: Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane Plot: Po the Panda is the laziest animals in all of the Valley of Peace, but unwittingly becomes the chosen one when enemies threaten their way of life.
Get Smart (Jul 3) Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwyane Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp Plot: Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 for CONTROL, battles the forces of KAOS with the more-competent Agent 99 at his side.
Mamma Mia! (Jul 10) Starring: Colin Firth, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters Plot: The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA.
The Dark Knight (Jul 17) Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Eric Robert, Aaron Eckhart Plot: Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker's crimes grow more and more deadly.
It’s not a massive list of films so it may be a slightly quieter winter than usual. You never know.
We’re done.
March 4, 2008 - In The Words Of Ed Tom Bell...
It’s be a short, low key issue this week. All the Oscars stuff over the last few weeks has drained a lot out of me.
Oscars
There hasn’t been a lot of fall out from this year’s Oscar ceremony. Most people were accepting of the winners. The biggest talking point was the poor TV ratings (which were the worst ever). It has been accredited to the fact that most of the nominated films were smaller, stranger flicks that the general public hasn’t seen. I agree with this rationale but hope that Academy members don’t vote for a bunch of big blockbusters next year to help promote their ceremony.
Now the Oscars are out of the way, I can try to catch all the movies which are out at the moment. It’s like a stocktake sale clearance – all the studios are getting rid of their smaller, non-Oscar worthy releases in the lead up to Easter.
For the first 5 Thursdays of the year, we saw 16 movies releases. In the next 5 Thursdays, we’ve seen 29 movies released. You see my point?
Later this month, I’m hoping to do my Brisbane cinema reviews again. I’ve just got to do a little research first.
Australian Film Festival
Before I continue, those Aussies who are reading this in London (and there a few of them) will be interested to know that the Australian Film Festival kicks off this week. It goes from March 6 to 16 and is held at the Barbican Centre in central London.
Highlights of this year festival include An Unfinished Sky (the audience winner at the 2007 Brisbane International Film Festival), The Home Song Stories (the winner of the AFI Award for best picture), Forbidden Lies (my favourite Australian film of the year) and All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane (shot right here in Brissy). There’s also special screenings of Australian classics such as Two Hands, The Castle and Kenny. Those interested in knowing more can find out at: http://www.barbican.org.uk/australianfilm/home.
No Country For Old Men
Last Friday, I had the chance to see No Country For Old Men (this year’s best picture Oscar winner) for a second time. A couple of friends wanted to see it and I was happy to go along. It was just as good as when I first saw it over 2 months ago. Whilst I liked Juno more, it was a deserving winner. I thought I’d finish up this week’s newsletter with some of my favourite lines from the movie from Tommy Lee Jones’s character, Ed Tom Bell. There are plenty of them. Those that have seen the film will remember them. Enjoy.
Ed Tom Bell: I always liked to hear about the oldtimers. Never missed a chance to do so. You can't help but compare yourself gainst the oldtimers. Can't help but wonder how they would've operated these times. There was this boy I sent to the gas chamber at Huntsville here a while back. My arrest and my testimony. He killed a fourteen-year-old girl. Papers said it was a crime of passion but he told me there wasn't any passion to it. Told me that he'd been planning to kill somebody for about as long as he could remember. Said that if they turned him out he'd do it again. Said he knew he was going to hell. Be there in about fifteen minutes. I don't know what to make of that. I surely don't. The crime you see now, it's hard to even take its measure. It's not that I'm afraid of it. I always knew you had to be willing to die to even do this job - not to be glorious. But I don't want to push my chips forward and go out and meet something I don't understand. You can say it's my job to fight it, but I don't know what it is anymore. More than that, I don't want to know. A man would have to put his soul at hazard. He would have to say, "O.K., I'll be part of this world."
Wendell: You know, there might not have been
no money.
Wendell: You think this boy Moss has got any
notion of the sorts of sons of bitches that're huntin' him?
Ed Tom Bell: Now that's aggrevatin'.
Carla Jean Moss: Sheriff, was that a true
story about Charlie Walser?
Ed Tom Bell: You ride Winston.
Ed Tom Bell: It starts when you begin to overlook bad manners. Anytime you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am", the end is pretty much in sight.
See you same time next week.
February 26, 2008 - No Country But Plenty Of Oscars For Old Men
“We’ll do it all again in 12 months time.” – Matthew Toomey, 27 February 2007
That time has come. Another Oscars has been run and won. I’ve got to admit that I’m pretty happy with the results. There were a few nice surprises and for the most part, the most deserving films and craftsmen won a little golden statue.
A had the chance to preview them on 612ABC radio this morning with Spencer Howson at 7:35am. I hope a few people got the chance to tune in.
Here’s my “quick” wrap of the night…
Oscars Gambling
I take pleasure in winning money on the Oscars. Sports betting agencies don’t have much of a clue (although they’ve gotten better over the years). When you consider that I study the form all year round, it gives me a nice advantage…
I through one last minute bet on - $10 on Tilda Swinton at $12. I already had $20 on her but 2 friends each wanted a $20 bet on Ms Swinton (they can thank me later) so I placed a $50 wager all up. I wish I’d have put $500 on her in hindsight.
To quickly review my performance…
$300 on the Coens to win best director at $1.66 which returned $498. $300 on Cate Blanchett to win best supporting actress at $2.10 which returned $0. $20 on Ellen Page to win best actress at $13.00 which returned $0. $30 on Tilda Swinton to win best supporting actress at $18.00 which returned $540. $20 on Juno to win best picture at $11.00 which returned $0.
So for $670 worth of bets, I got $1,038 back. That’s a profit of $368. I have to remember to take off the $100 I lost on the Globes. So in the end, I wind up with a profit of $268 for this award season. Let’s now add that to the cumulative leaderboard…
1996 – profit of $750 – won on Susan Saranadon 1997 – profit of $300 (cumulative profit $1,050) – won on Frances McDormand 1998 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $800) 1999 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $550) 2000 – profit of $620 (cumulative profit $1,170) – won on Kevin Spacey and Michael Caine 2001 – loss of $190 (cumulative profit $980) – won on director Steven Soderbergh 2002 – profit of $480 (cumulative profit $1,460) – won on Halle Berry 2003 – profit of $275 (cumulative profit $1,735) – won on Catherine Zeta-Jones and Adrian Brody 2004 – profit of $150 (cumulative profit $1,875) – won on Sean Penn 2005 – profit of $214 (cumulative profit $2,089) – won on Hilary Swank 2006 – profit of $350 (cumulative profit $2,439) – won on Reese Witherspoon 2007 – profit of $1,463 (cumulative profit $3,912) – won on Eddie Murphy at Globes, Alan Arkin & West Bank Story at Oscars 2008 – profit of $268 (cumulative profit of $4,280) – won on Tilda Swinton and the Coen brothers
That takes my winning streak to 7 years on trot. If you didn’t get on this year, don’t forget to follow my tips in 2009. I’m already picking out the favourites. J
Oscars Competition
Right-e-o. Many people will be waiting for this. I ended up picking 5 very tricky categories this year. No one scored a perfect score and if I had entered, I’d have only managed 1 out of 5. Overall, I went 13 from 24.
3 entrants scored 3 out of 5 – they were Adam Conwell, Matt Gordon and Jessica Velm. Close but not close enough.
The winner this year was Sam Dagan and he becomes the first 2 time champ in my Pick The Oscars contest. Sam won back in 2003 (the year there were lots of upsets). Sam scored 4 out of 5 and only missed out on best actress. If you want to see how you went, here were the winners in the 5 categories I nominated:
Best Picture – No Country For Old Men Best Actress – Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) Best Supporting Actress – Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) Best Sound Mixing – The Bourne Ultimatum Best Foreign Language Film – The Counterfeiters
Denzel Washington presented the best picture Oscar. He is currently 53 years of age. The tie breaker question wasn’t needed however with just 1 person on 4 out of 5.
Thanks to everyone who entered and make sure you try again next year.
Richard Wilkins
I’ve just sat through Richard Wilkins half-hour snooze fest where he interviews people on the red carpet. I have never liked Wilkins. He’s an idiot. I just had to say it. Could he ask one half-decent question?
No Country Goes The Distance
It’s been the favourite for a long time. When I first profiled the Oscar contenders back on 13 November 2007, I had this to say… “If I had to go out on a limb at this point, my tip for best picture is No Country For Old Men. Ethan and Joel Coen won a screenwriting Oscar in 1996 for Fargo but one of their great films (and there’s been a lot of them) has never won the best picture Oscar. I think this is their time. I’ve heard nothing but good reports. ”
So there you have it. Films like Brokeback Mountain have been beaten at the post but No Country For Old Men has gone all the way. It won pretty much every lead up award and won the most Oscars tonight with 4. It won best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor (Javier Bardem). That’s a nice suite of awards to win. I’d like to have seen Juno get the top prize but I can’t begrudge No Country’s victory. It’s a brilliant film.
Acting Surprises
The actress and supporting actress categories promised surprises and they delivered. For best supporting actress, favourite Cate Blanchett was beaten by long shot Tilda Swinton (4th in the betting market). I had $20 on Swinton early in the piece at 20-1 because I thought she was the best thing in Michael Clayton and that the category was wide open. Voters took a while to catch on as Swinton won no early lead up awards. Thankfully, she won the prize that mattered. I’ve been a fan of Swinton since I saw her in The Deep End and I’m happy to see her win. Well done!
In the best actress category, I was pretty sure Julie Christie was going to win. She’s loved by so many. I was very surprised to see an unknown French actress named Marion Cotillard steal the prize for La Vie En Rose. When I saw La Vie En Rose last year, I was amazed by Cotillard’s performance. I said to my roommate that I think I just saw an Oscar winning performance. I was right. Cotillard stands out and it’s a hell of a performance. I still think Ellen Page in Juno was better but that’s a matter of opinion. Cotillard becomes only the second actress to win the prize in a foreign language film (following Sophia Loren).
Incidentally, all 4 acting winners (the other two being Daniel Day Lewis and Javier Bardem) were all non-Americans. It’s the first time that’s happened since 1964. There you have it.
Juno
My favourite film of the year, Juno, managed to win 1 of its 4 nominations. Not too bad. Diablo Cody picked up best original screenplay. Cody is 29 years of age and prior to writing this script, she worked as a stripper and a phone sex operator. Can I call that a Cinderella storty? I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I don’t think she’ll ever need to go back to her old job…
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum was nominated for 3 awards and won all 3. These were for sound mixing, sound editing and film editing. Only No Country For Old Men won more awards. This is a surprise but good recognition for the Bourne trilogy. I liked all 3 films and it’s easily been the best action series we’ve been treated to in a while.
Once
My favourite romantic film in years, Once, took out best song for “Falling Slowly”. I’m glad this little independent film got some recognition. Stars Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard performed the song live and got to accept the award. One of the highlights of the night.
Sadly Overlooked
Roger Deakins is one of the great cinematographers in the business. His work includes The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, The Big Lebowski and A Beautiful Mind. He’s been nominated for 7 Oscars and this year he was tipped to win – he was nominated twice actually – once for Jesse James and once for No Country For Old Men. He is still waiting for his Oscar statue. He lost this year to Robert Elswit for There Will Be Blood. It’s tough for Deakins because this was a great year for cinematographers and Elswit deserved it just as much. Elswit’s credits include Michael Clayton, Good Night & Good Luck, Punch Drunk Love and Magnolia. I wish they both could have won.
The unluckiest losers are still Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell. O’Connell has been nominated 20 times and Russell has been nominated 12 times. Tonight, they were nominated for Transformers. They lost out to The Bourne Ultimatum. With 0 out of 32 between them, you’ve got to start thinking that perhaps it’s never going to happen. Perhaps they’ll get an honorary Oscar one day (ala Peter O’Toole).
Jon Stewart
There weren’t as many highlights in this year’s ceremony as I’d have liked. A few of the acceptance speeches could have used some spice. Jon Stewart’s jokes weren’t too bad. He was a decent host but nowhere near Steve Martin. Can we get Steve back for next year???
The Full List
If you’re interested in a full list of winners, here they are…
Best
Picture: No Country for Old Men
Best
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody (Juno)
Best
Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Best
Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side
Best
Animated Short: Peter and the Wolf
Best
Cinematography: There Will Be Blood
Best
Makeup: La Vie Rose A Final Thought
I’m going to steal my final thought from blogger Tom O’Neill on his website at http://goldderby.latimes.com/. It sums up this year’s Oscars perfectly and how the winners were somewhat unexpected…
“Just think for a moment about the wins in the top eight races tonight: Six went to pix about a wacko serial killer ("No Country") or a psycho oil baron with murder on his mind ("There Will Be Blood"). Together they won picture, director, adapted screenplay, screenplay and actor.
The other two categories went to, well, somewhat lighter fare: a film about a drug-addicted chanteuse ("La Vie en Rose") and a pregnant teen with a bad 'tude ("Juno").
The last time a flick about a serial killer hacked its way through the Oscars was in 1991 when "The Silence of the Lambs" swept and darkness set over five of the top eight races. "Silence" made a real killing, becoming only the third film ever to win these top five prizes: picture, director, actor (Anthony Hopkins), actress (Jodie Foster) and screenplay.
Another ominous fact: this year, for the first time ever, three of the four acting trophies went to villainous roles -- best actor to Daniel Day-Lewis as a monstrous oil baron, supporting actor to Javier Bardem as a coin-tossing grim reaper, and supporting actress Tilda Swinton as a vicious corporate exec trying to snuff lady-killer George Clooney."
That’s it from me. To all, a good night. And don’t forget, we’ll do it all again in 12 months time.
February 19, 2008 - Matt's 2008 Oscars Form Guide
Well I’ve been talking about it for months and finally the Oscars are upon us. Next Monday at midday (Brisbane time) the ceremony begins and it should conclude by around 4pm. Last year, I did a special on 612ABC radio with Richard Fidler where I covered the winners live. I’m not sure if I’ll be doing it again this year but you can always tune in to find out.
The good news is that the writer’s strike is all over. A deal has been made and your favourite television shows are back in production. For me, the most important aspect is that the Oscars will go ahead as planned – all the stars will be in attendance and it should be huge as it’s their 80th anniversary.
There’s at least one upset each year so which category is going to surprise? Before I go through my form guide, here’s a quick summary of the bets I have placed…
$300 on the Coens to win best director at $1.66 to potentially win $198. $300 on Cate Blanchett to win best supporting actress at $2.10 to potentially win $330. $20 on Ellen Page to win best actress at $13.00 to potentially win $240. $20 on Tilda Swinton to win best supporting actress at $21.00 to potentially win $400. $20 on Juno to win best picture at $11.00 to potentially win $200.
I have concerns about Cate Blanchett but I think Ellen Page and Tilda Swinton have a chance to get home at long odds.
Here then, are my thoughts on each category.
Best Picture Atonement Juno Michael Clayton No Country For Old Men There Will Be Blood
This is one of the most interesting categories. Atonement is the biggest outsider as it doesn’t have a best director nomination. The only film in the last 70 years to win without a best director nom was Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. Juno has made more money than any of the other films which would ordinarily give it a big chance. Unfortunately, it’s a comedy. Since 1977, only one comedy has won the top prize (Shakespeare In Love in 1998). Michael Clayton will certainly score some votes but given that its won so few lead up awards, it’d be hard to see it win here. There Will Be Blood has been well reviewed amongst critics but those same critics have raved just as strongly about No Country For Old Men. There’s a risk that support for these two films may be split and it’ll open the door for one of the other 3 to sneak in. Given that No Country For Old Men won both the Producer’s Guild and Director’s Guild prizes, it’s hard to bet against it. If there is a surprise here, maybe Juno can pull it off. Matt’s Tip: No Country For Old Men.
Best Director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell & The Butterfly) Jason Reitman (Juno) Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country For Old Men) Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)
I think the Coens have this locked up for No Country For Old Men. They won the Director’s Guild prize and 53 of the last 59 winners have gone on to claim the Oscar. The last time this didn’t happen was in 2002 when Roman Polanski (The Pianist) upset Rob Marshall (Chicago). I’m sure there’ll be some upsets on the night but not here. Matt’s Tip: Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country For Old Men).
Best Actor George Clooney (Michael Clayton) Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood) Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street) Tommy Lee Jones (In The Valley Of Elah) Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
I don’t need to say much here. Daniel Day Lewis is your winner without a shadow of a doubt. Matt’s Tip: Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood).
Best Actress Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) Julie Christie (Away From Her) Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) Laura Linney (The Savages) Ellen Page (Juno)
There are 3 here with a legitimate chance. Julie Christie is the favourite and won the major lead up award – the Screen Actors’ Guild prize. She won back in 1965 and is always held in high regard. She’s a classy lady. Marion Cotillard is reported to be her biggest challenger. Cotillard recently won the British Academy Award. The problem that both actresses may have is that their films are small and have been hardly seen – Christie is in Away From Her and Cotillard is in La Vie En Rose. This opens the door for… Ellen Page in Juno. Given that voters won’t vote Juno in for best picture (as it’s a comedy), they might choose to honour it here. Even those that didn’t like it that much have admitted Page is the best thing in it. The only thing working against Page is her age – if she wins at age 20, she’ll be the youngest best actress winner in history. Will the older Academy voters really go for her? I think it’s going to be close and I’ll tip an upset here. Matt’s Tip: Ellen Page (Juno).
Best Supporting Actor Casey Affleck (The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford) Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War) Hal Holbrook (Into The Wild) Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)
Luckily the vote counts aren’t released because it would be very embarrassing for the other 4 nominees in this category. Congratulations Javier! Matt’s Tip: Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men).
Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) Ruby Dee (American Gangster) Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
This is the most open category of the night. Saorise Ronan is the only one with no chance. With the other 4, I could give a reason why they can and can’t win. It’s all very confusing. Tilda Swinton had won nothing and was listed at 20-1 but stormed into contention with her British Academy Award win. A lot of people think she has a big chance now because voters will be looking to give Michael Clayton an award somewhere and Clayton is the best part in it. I agree that if there is an upset here, Swinton could do it. Ruby Dee won the big lead up award, the Screen Actors’ Guild, but I think that was a fluke. She was in American Gangster for just 5 minutes and I can’t see such a small performance winning enough votes here. Then again, she did win the SAG. Amy Ryan has won most of the critics’ awards to date but that doesn’t necessarily translate into Academy votes. I’m worried that a lot of people won’t have seen Gone Baby Gone and that Ryan will be battling uphill (kind of like Virginia Madsen in Sideways a few years back). Now we get to my pick – Cate Blanchett. Miramax has put together a strong advertising blitz to promote Blanchett’s performance in I’m Not There. The film wasn’t liked by everyone though. Blanchett won the Golden Globe which is a plus but she won in this category 3 years ago. This is my biggest negative for her. I’m worried voters will spread their love around and won’t vote for her so soon after a win. But who else will they vote for? I think Blanchett might just squeak home. Matt’s Tip: Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There).
Best Adapted Screenplay Atonement I’m Not There The Diving Bell & The Butterfly No Country For Old Men There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men has won all the lead-up awards here and should win this easily. Matt’s Tip: No Country For Old Men.
Best Original Screenplay Juno Lars & The Real Girl Michael Clayton Ratatouille The Savages
This is one of my favourite categories each year. I love a good original screenplay. It’s the most important quality of any film. Previous winners include Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Lost In Translation, Almost Famous, American Beauty, Fargo, The Usual Suspects and Pulp Fiction. Juno has won the majority of the lead ups here. Michael Clayton may shock but I wouldn’t bet on it. Matt’s Tip: Juno.
Best Animated Film Persepolis Ratatouille Surf’s Up
An easy one here. Matt’s Tip: Ratatouille.
Best Foreign Language Film Beaufort (Israel) The Counterfeiters (Austria) Katyn (Poland) Mongol (Kazakhstan) 12 (Russia)
Hmmm, tricky one. A lot of the major contenders (such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days) were controversially overlooked for a nomination. I’m going to tip Mongol from Kazakhstan. Given the problems that Kazakhstan seems to have (as were documented in Borat), I think it’s a great achievement that they were even able to make a movie. J Matt’s Tip: Mongol.
Best Art Direction American Gangster Atonement The Golden Compass Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street There Will Be Blood
The Academy loves their period pieces in categories like this. I give the nod to Atonement, whether it deserves it or not. Matt’s Tip: Atonement.
Best Cinematography The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford Atonement The Diving Bell & The Butterfly No Country For Old Men There Will Be Blood
This is a really strong category this year. They all deserve to win. I think The Diving Bell & The Butterfly (Janusz Kaminski) has a decent shot here but given that I think there will be strong support for No Country For Old Men (Roger Deakins), I’ll give it my vote. Roger Deakins has been nominated 5 times before without a win. This is his time. Matt’s Tip: No Country For Old Men.
Best Costume Design Across The Universe Atonement Elizabeth: The Golden Age La Vie En Rose Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
There’s a rule with these smaller categories – if only one of the nominees has been nominated for best picture, then favour it. Most voters will have seen Atonement (as it’s been nominated for best film) but they may not have seen the others. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, Atonement is a period piece film which gives it even more of a chance. I’d be shocked if it didn’t win. Matt’s Tip: Atonement.
Best Documentary Feature No End In Sight Operation Homecoming: Writing The Wartime Experience Sicko Taxi To The Dark Side War/Dance
The documentary and short film categories are different in that you can’t vote unless you’ve been to special screenings where these films are shown. So just because Sicko is the most high-profile film of the bunch, doesn’t mean it will win. I never know what to think with these smaller categories so will go with No End In Sight – I’ve heard a few good things about it. Matt’s Tip: No End In Sight.
Best Documentary Short Freeheld La Corona (The Crown) Salim Baba Sari’s Mother
Your guess is as good as mine. Matt’s Tip: Freeheld.
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