Mr Hipp imagines Inception's dream team. So cute! I love the take on Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Boy Culture Isabella Rossellini finally addresses Madonna's "Sex" 18 years after the fact. To your left is one of my favorite photos from the book.
THR a three way discussion on Best Actress and theories as to why Annette Bening isn't really campaigning.
The Awl Ed Koch reviews Black Swan. Whaaaa...?
If Charlie Parker... awww. Natalie Wood wishes you happy holidays.
Time Magazine does a top ten of everything but that link goes to the movies, led by Toy Story 3. Rather annoyingly each entry gets its own page. They want to get 500 page views from you. Boo.
Time Magazine also does a top ten performances, led by Noomi Rapace. But... Jacki Weaver & Tilda Swinton make the list. So you may applaud.
ABBA try this quiz if you love ABBA. it's so hard. I already forgot my score but I wasn't proud of it.
Towleroad a few words on this weekend's new releases. And a few more links.
Finally, the Detroit Film Critics have announced their nominees. I normally don't link to critics awards before they announce winners (so self indulgent) but it is Detroit and I like to say yes to the home state... especially since I never get back there anymore.
Unfortunately they're one of those silly silly silly groups (like the upcoming SAG no doubt *sigh*) which feel the need to nominate The King's Speech's entire cast in their individual categories and then again for Best Ensemble. Seriously Detroit? Calm down. In such a stellar year for ensemble casts there really is no excuse for the ensemble nominations and prizes this film is going to ring up from now until the SAG Awards. No one on god's green earth will ever convince me that each of the three principals in The King's Speech needs two nominations for their trouble. Or that Guy Pearce and Eve Best are so sensational as King Edward and Wallis Simpson that they had to be recognized in this way since they won't get to reprise the roles in Madonna's 2011 feature W.E. (which is at least partially about those characters who will be played by James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough).
"Ensemble" categories make me crazy. Movies consisting of repeated scenes where two people talk to each is not "ensemble work." Detroit's other nominees in this category (The Kids Are All Right, The Fighter, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Winter's Bone) demonstrate that at least some of the Motor City's film journalists are sound of mind.
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I'm not so sure that Natalie Portman can be reduced to simply being "the young pretty one" in this year's race. Sure she happens to have that going for her but from what I understand the performance itself is also very good. In a way it almost feels like she is one of the veterans in the race. She's a previous nominee and she's been in the business consistently for many years.
The ensemble complaint has always seemed weird to me. I guess it makes sense if it's all based on individual scenes with only a select few playing off each other to wonder why it'd get one...but doesn't it make sense to nominate a movie for ensemble if every member is nominated elsewhere? If they're all good enough individually, what keeps them from being great as an ensemble? Like, would you be upset of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf had an ensemble nod as well, despite all four of its cast members being nominated individually? Because that's solid ensemble work.
Totally get what you're saying about ensemble, but man I just loved that they showed Scott Pilgrim some love. Hopefully it makes a few more token appearances elsewhere. I'm not expecting any actual wins or even Oscar nominations.... but maybe?
walter -- i can see your "Woolf" argument but that's a special case since everyone is b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t and they usually share scenes as a group rather than a series of duets.
James -- it's true that Portman isn't a newbie ;) 14 years in the movies now.
Hey, i wanted to pick some brains about the Hollywood reporter 3 way discussion for best actress. For me the most interesting part of the video is when Hammond says that he has spoken to an actress in the academy that has won oscars, and that she believes that Bening passed her prime and that her no.1 vote goes to Swinton. I'm really intrigued as to who this could be, obviously she's aged 50+ since there are no younger actresses with 2 oscars (apart from Swank) and her judgment of Bening also means this is someone that has witnessed alot of her work. Moreover, the reason she loves Swinton is beacuse she's Scottish speaking Italian with a Russian accent. Whilst it could be Streep, Swinton sheds her clothes in the film and she is kind of against that.
So my question is who could it be??
Well, I finally saw I Am Love, Ghost Writer, and Four Lions, so I can comment on those lists by Time. (That just leaves Animal Kingdom and the Oscar bait films that aren't out yet.)
The Top 10 movies list is OK, I just don't like it when people include documentaries.
The Top 10 Performances list is much better, but including the woman from Catfish...HUGE eyeroll. Was that really necessary? I know some people think the movie's fake, but whatever.
I am REALLY starting to worri about Annette. I smell one of those UNFORGAVABLE SNUB! It makes me sick!!...
John -- it was me! I confess.
John i think it's Sally Field. Wich 4 me is the Hilary Swank of the 80's + she would know about being "past your prime". Not that I believe Annette is...AU CONTRAIRE!
I think it's a pretty great list overall...nice to see people stepping, ever so small, outside the box and thinking for themselves a bit. I don't see your complaint for ensemble though. I mean I guess I understand your definition of ensemble, but if a cast as an entire unit is at the top of their game, isn't that considered 'ensemble work'? I don't feel they all have to be on screen at the same time for me to consider rewarding them as an ensemble. That being said, I kinda hope 'Scott Pilgrim' wins the ensemble award. I think it's really underrated.
I'm thinking that I Am Love and Swinton are kind of dead in the water in terms of Oscar chances. I liked it quite a lot (seen it twice, liked it slightly less the second time). But if you look at the general reaction to that film, even among people who appreciate Tilda Swinton's performance, a lot of people really don't like that movie. I liken the negative reaction to that of what the naysayers were saying about A Single Man last year. Excessive style, minimal substance.
John -- I'm assuming whatshisname just means "has won an oscar" and isn't being specific. could be anyone. But there are so few women who've won two that i can't imagine any of them talking to a reporter about Bening ;)
but the remark is so catty that i can't take it seriously as indicative of a Hollywood feeling you know?
but the "past her prime" thing IS a problem for Hollywood because they're so damn sexist/ageist with actresses.
i thought the conversation was interesting because i had no idea that people found Nicole Kidman charming in person. Her media persona is not exactly "omg. she's so loveable!" you know?
so i thought that was interesting and i was glad to hear it.
I know right, the Kidman comments were suprising, I think people have really bipolar reactions to her!
Nothing will be as ridiculous as when SAG nominated the three (THREE!) castmembers of Million Dollar Baby for Ensemble and yet somehow didn't even bother with all the actual fringe actors that helped the film (the boxer, the priest, hell even Swank's family, as horrible as they were).
I kind of thought that the two-time winner, if it's not a made-up story, would be Jane Fonda-Sally Field doesn't seem like a Swinton fan, and Fonda seems like the type of actress who would love Swinton and potentially have a feud with Bening of sorts (come on, there's a lot of diva in both of these women, even if that's why we love them).
Glenn -- i think that's where I gained my huge aversion to the category. It simply makes no sense the way they divvy those prizes up. I'll never forget or forgive Matt Ross (one of the best performances with a lot of screen time in THE AVIATOR) being shut out from that nomination but Gwen Stefani being in there for a walk on cameo.
This year with THE FIGHTER only the 4 principles and Jack McGee are listed as being part of the ensemble. which sucks because the locals and the family and the cops and such are such a good part of the color of that film.
The shortcomings of the ensemble category frustrates me. Million Dollar Baby is one example, but the snubs for No Country for Old Men -- Kathy Lamkin, Stephen Root, Beth Grant, Gene Jones, Barry Corbin -- were mind-boggling. How are they *not* part of the ensemble? Jones and Lamkin stole the show!
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