Saturday, February 09, 2008

"Breakthrough" According to the NY Times

The New York Times Magazine has another amazing photo gallery about this past year's great performances. Being the semantics bitch that I am (you know my feelings on "category fraud" at all awards shows) I am horrified to share with you that Julie Christie is among their 15 "breakthroughs" Julie f'ing Christie. Ah well... the photo gallery is beau-ti-ful, so check it out.


Juno's Ellen Page gets the cover of the magazine. These are my four favorite photos from the gallery: Christie (Away From Her), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding... love that wintry chill and that she's so obscured) and Tang Wei (Lust, Caution. At least the NY Times noticed the dexterity of that performance). Click to enlarge of course... especially if you need to see JJL
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22 comments:

John T said...

Jesus Mary, Julie Christie in breakthroughs? Maybe next year will be the year that whippersnapper Meryl Streep breaks through-and Jack Nicholson, he sure seems like an up-and-comer.

NATHANIEL R said...

well, to be fair to them if you read the article they make their excuse for it.

but i'm just so tired of all the flexibility with awards season verbiage that it annoys me is all.

i get what they're saying and i get that they don't want to call it

PERFORMANCES WE LOVE OR THAT THE PUBLICISTS FOUGHT TO BE INCLUDED

but still...

Dame James said...

I, for one, don't understand these pictures. For half of them, random objects are covering the faces of the actors (that branch in JJL's, Julie Christie's hair, the waterfall/rain in Amy Ryan's) and the other half are seem to be so poorly lit that shadows are covering the most beautiful parts of their faces (McAvoy, Miller). And what the hell is with that Paul Dano one? He looks like one of the aliens from "Signs". Celebrity photographs should enhance their beauty, not hide it or make them look ten times worse.

adam k. said...

Tang Wei is gorgeous. That is all.

ryansumera said...
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ryansumera said...

wei tang looks a bit like ming na wen from that angle

Anonymous said...

question: any word on who will be getting honorary oscars this year??? doris day, richard widmark? i heard the writer's strike could end this weekend. Best picture presenters:

Julia roberts / richard gere?
Cher / Nicholas Cage?
Glen Close / Michael Douglas?
Julie Andrews / Dick Van Dyke?

Anonymous said...

The Dano picture makes me awkward and sweaty.

RC said...

my goodnesss...way to breakthrough julie christie?

with that logic wasn't Daniel Day Lewis a breakthrough performance too?

Drew said...

What is going on with that Paul Dano picture? He looks like a lightbulb. It freaks me out.

RJ said...

I can't be the only one kind of turned on by that Paul Dano picture

NATHANIEL R said...

drew 'like a lightbulb.' hee

it's true. I love the lighting though. so freaky...

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to see Tang Wei getting some attention. She is beautiful and her performance in Lust, Caution was stunning. It's one of my top five lead actress performances this year (if I got to choose the Oscar nominees). What an amazing first performance. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work.

Also, Paul Dano was quite impressive in There Will Be Blood; I mean he held his own against Daniel Day-Lewis and that's nothing to sneeze at.

Anonymous said...

Is it me or is Paul Dano's head super huge (not proportionate to his slim body)?? I don't mind seeing him with nothing on, I wish there was more of that in There Will be Blood:)

Anonymous said...

WGA WINNERS:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Diablo Cody, "Juno"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY: "Taxi to the Dark Side"

The Jaded Armchair Reviewer said...

Maybe I'm not looking hard enough but where is the gallery where the pictures came from?

Could someone give the link?

NATHANIEL R said...

the link is in this post. Then when you get there you click on Paul Dano's lightbulb head

Anonymous said...

that picture of paul dano makes him look like clay aiken.

ryansumera said...
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ryansumera said...

i would like to think of the paul dano photo as an homage to little miss sunshine

The Liz said...

Can someone explain to me why Sienna effing Miller was included as a "breakthrough?" It's Sienna Miller?! I hadn't even heard of her movie before it was inexplicably featured in the Times.

NATHANIEL R said...

The Liz if Julie Christie is a "breakthrough" after 40 years of being a legend than you can totally be a breakthrough for a film that nobody saw.

NO RULES APPLY.

Wheeeee