Robert here, with my series Distant Relatives, where we look at two films, (one classic, one modern) related through a common theme and ask what their similarities and differences can tell us about the evolution of cinema.
Angry Old Men
As a society we have such a strange relationship with celebrities. We admire them and we despise them. We love when they fail, embarrassing humiliation and then we promise to celebrate their comeback. For the person who has actually attained fame, there's a good chance that that fame will come to an end before they do. At some point society won't have a place for them anymore. Filmmakers seem naturally attracted to the stories of these people since their world, for good or bad, is eternally rooted in the hype of fame.
Tony Richardson's The Entertainer and Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler are two outside-of-Hollywood films with two very outside-of-Hollywood subjects. Archie Rice of the somewhat-forgotten (or at least under-loved) The Entertainer is an old music hall performer, a song and dance man in a world where rock and roll is the only song and dance anyone seems to care about any more. His audience is small and unenthusiastic. Randy the Ram's audience is enthusiastic. He's got small crowds cheering for him every week as he makes the rounds of the local underground wrestling scene. The audience cheers for blood and bruises. They cheer for Randy out of nostalgia for a time when Randy had full arenas packed just to see him entertain.
See the Resurrection
Two men trying desperately to hold onto a time when they mattered, growing old, living paycheck to paycheck or not even. At the start Randy seems to have a better deal. He's at least part of a community (though most of his fellow underground wrestlers are young guys trying to get where he once was), he has a haunt in the local strip club and a tenuous connection with fellow over-the-hill dancer Cassidy. Living in a trailer park isn't preferred but he plays with the local kids and he has people who cheer for him. Archie Rice does not. And while he can often be found throwing one or many back among laughing cohorts, it's an attempt to recapture the good old days and numb the present ones. They are not really his friends. Both men are estranged from their families with particular attention payed to their relationships with their daughters. Archie's is sympathetic but disappointed. Randy's is jaded. The father/daughter relationship is often plastered with "daddy's little girl" cliches. Maybe we're meant to think that here, or maybe not. Certainly we're given a glimpse into what could be.
Naturally there's a comeback opportunity that is not to be. It seems unfair to breeze over the big chance for these men but it's a foregone conclusion that it can never be. The entertainment industry demands change or death and these men, so desperate to matter again, aren't evolving but trying to pull their worlds back into the past with them. Then again, the evolution that the world demands of these men is far from ideal. Archie's best prospects are in Canada where he has an opportunity to run a hotel. For Randy it's the deli counter of his local grocer, waiting on grumpy, particular seniors. It's no surprise that Randy chooses to put his health at risk to fulfill his comeback, just as Archie stakes his financial future and risk of prison time on his. The choice that these men have really isn't a choice at all.
We Had Faces Then
There is one woman whose shadow looms large over these two men. She is the patron saint of washed up performers, or perhaps since we're talking in terms of relatives, their mother. Norma Desmondis the original doomed performer though she's a villain; as time goes on, these characters get more and more tuned to our sympathies. Desmond is such a villain that her film needs a hero. Archie Rice isn't a villain but he's quite hurtful to those who love him. He's given up trying. Randy the Ram too screws up and often, but we get the sense that he's trying, he just can't overcome his own nature.
Randy's likability and the severity of his ultimate fate presents us with the biggest emotional blow of any of these characters. Perhaps as time goes on, these kinds of stories must get more painful to make us take notice. Or perhaps writer Robert Siegel has noticed how fatalistic celebrity culture has become. All three films inhabited by these characters end with a death. Perhaps it's the death of hype, or old Hollywood or British reign (as has been speculated in the case of The Entertainer). Either way, the past dies. And so does the roar of the crowd.
Behold: The Poster for Burlesque. I think the marketing department deserves kudos for managing to pay homage to both of their leading ladies simultaneously in a way that's flattering to both. Although the hot pink "they airbrushed my face" quality won't be a sale for everyone.
Linques MTV Whoa! Darren Aronofsky originally conceived of Black Swan and The Wrestler as a single film. Now I'm even more intrigued. Hollywood Crush Bradley Cooper and Ryan Reynolds as action co-stars? Media to swoon. In Contention Isabella Rossellini to head Berlinale jury Stale PopcornGypsy 83. I never hear anyone talking about this movie so I had to link up. Way too underseen for something so heartfelt. MNPP Good morning. Hey, I love bookshelves, too. They scream "I am what I am." Serious Film "Pulled from the Wreckage" Fine acting in terrible films Cinematical freaks out over the amount of stunts in Mad Max: Fury Road Awards Daily on the current cynicism and the Oscar race. Movies Kick Ass picks his favorite Emmy dresses. Christina Hendricks was probably mine. But I'm a sucker for attention grabbing cleavage ... and lavender come to think of it... and redheads (come to keep thinking of it). Triple success.
Go Fug Yourself on Diana Agron's (Glee) Little Women look on the red carpet. PopWrap first official image of Kristen Bell in Burlesque. They think she'll be the most quoted character. Geekscape asks "What if The Expendables had an all female cast?" Answer: Nathaniel would've seen it twice already. (P.S. A female version is so not a bad idea.)
And finally The Awl asks a question that's really been haunting me lately "Why is American selfishness so widespread now?" It's been a disheartening summer -- lack of empathy everywhere. I think you can even see this in reviews of movie dramas. People just have no time or patience for other people's heartache.
OK that's too depressing to end with.
How about By Ken Levine's (who knows from television) Emmy recap:
You realize of course that you watch a lot more television than the people who made these decisions? If it weren't for screener DVD's, many Academy members would still be voting for HILL STREET BLUES.
Ha. Good one.The only reason they're lazier than Oscar voters is they can be. Movies tend to be, like, ineligible after their debut year.
Robert here, continuing my series of the directors that shaped the past 10 years. Last week I wrote about a “love him” or “hate him” director that turned out to be mostly loved. So having promised such a man I feel like I let you down. I think I can do better with this week’s subject: Darren Aronofsky
Number of Films: Three. Modern Masterpieces: Two. Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain (this is called baiting the hook.) Total Disasters: None. Better than you remember: Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain if applicable. Awards: Requiem and The Wrestler receive Oscar Nominations for acting. The Wrestler gets the Spirit Award for Best Picture. The Fountain goes mostly overlooked (because The Academy has no idea what a good movie score sounds like). Box Office: The Wrestler is tops with over 23 mil. The Fountain tops 10 mil. Requiem in very limited release (thank you NC-17) does 2 and a half mil. Critical Consensus: The Wrestler is clearly his most praised film. Requiem gets mostly good notices though some critics are split. The Fountain confuses everyone. Favorite Actor: Mark Margolis, who you might recognize as the pawn shop owner, the priest, and the landlord (respectively)
Let’s talk about: Desperate obsession. Though I suppose you can make an argument that most great films are about desperate obsession. Isn’t Dorothy desperately obsessed with getting home? Isn’t Charles Kane desperately obsessed with being loved? Isn’t Rick desperately obsessed with Ilsa? Maybe… it depends on your definition of “desperate” and “obsessed.” For the sake of Darren Aronofsky’s films, we can agree that the desperate obsession of his characters is defined at the highest extreme possible. And perhaps that’s his biggest shortcoming (I feel the need to level a criticism early since the rest of this post will be complimentary, and a bit defensive). His films’ insights don’t seem to extend much further than: “desperate obsession leads to very bad things.” And thematically, each successive film doesn’t seem to tread any ground beyond this.
Darren Aronofsky is, however, a great director of actors. I mention this now because it's largely the performances by his actors that successfully counter-balance any troubles had by his films. Another criticism of Aronofsky’s films (though not by me) is that they posses a sense of stylistic overkill. “Style over substance” they say. To which I often respond that those criticizing a piece of art would be wise not to employ a phrase that’s cliché (please also refrain from describing a film as “the emperor has no clothes” thank you). There is no doubt that the director’s films are stylishly bold and often aggressive. But how does one make a film about mental collapse such as Requiem for a Dream without utilizing such an uncompromising subjective camera? And how can one suggest that the style and storytelling of The Fountain isn’t absolutely necessary to explore the minds of its characters (depending on your interpretation of course). Aronofsky’s films are certainly high style but they don’t suffer from it. They are, in fact, among the most inventive movies being made today.
Aronofsky and Rourke. Blurry.
And still it all comes back to the acting. Even if Aronofsky’s films are stylistically excessive (including brilliant contributions from talent such as Matthew Libatique and Clint Mansell) they are always saved by the acting. After all, these movies are really about people and how their inability to find joy in the mundane, mediocre world around them fuels their desperate obsessions for that which is ultimately unattainable; whether it be respect, love, saving a spouse or fitting into a red dress. And the portrayals of actors such as Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Hugh Jackman and Mickey Rourke are not just human and moving but often crushing. These are performances that easily counteract any possible stylistic distraction and become the emotional heart of each film. It takes great actors to steal the spotlight from Aronofsky’s audacious aesthetics. Yet they do, every time.
Heading into this decade, Aronofsky was the hot new thing, coming off the indie success of Pi. Requiem for a Dream was something of a companion piece, continuing the (as Aronofsky calls it) “hip hop montage” device of its predecessor. Seemingly a continuation of his winning streak, the film had few detractors (not including stoned college dorm-mates who dismissed it as a mere modern Reefer Madness). But eight years later when The Wrestler opened to much acclaim, more voices than I expected invoked memory of the director’s “last two disasters.” That second disaster was The Fountain, a passion project that collapsed and had to be completely re-thought with a smaller cast and budget. Too many critics savaged it as incomprehensible. Yet I couldn’t understand why reviewers could praise the opaque work of Lynch or Buñuel but find nothing worthwhile in this powerful film (which, quite frankly shouldn't require 100% comprehension to be enjoyed). Thankfully, the critical and commercial failure of The Fountain did not slow down Aronofsky.
I'm happy to see that, thanks to The Wrestler, Aronofsky has regained a place of high cinematic respect (though it’s no small shame that his least demanding picture should be his most highly praised). Hopefully he will not take it as a sign to shrug off his audaciousness moving into the future (which soon includes the ballerina picture Black Swan and a possible RoboCop remake). To quote Nathaniel: “Auteurs should all go for broke.” To quote myself: “If great movies always show us something we’ve never seen before, then it's awfully hard to make a case against Darren Aronofsky.”
Sienna Miller is just what Evangelical Christians ordered. She can save gay men from their ungodly "urges"! At least onscreen. I kid, I kid but her character is helping to degay Art Bechstein (Jon Foster) in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. I'm bitching about the trainwreck of this "adaptation" (it's more of a steal the title / gut the source situation) over in my weekly column over @ Towleroad. Normally I am averse to attacking movies I haven't seen and will not see. But this is a special case for me since the filmmaker has so obviously little respect for the original material which is a touchstone novel for a lot of people, including myself.
There's also bits on the other new releases this week but I neglected to mention the heavy metal documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil about a once promising now obscure band. I reviewed it for Zoom-In over a year ago and it's continued to hover around the edges of my psyche since. If you're into documentaries it's worth a look since it's finally hitting theaters. If you've recently seen The Wrestler, it'll make an interesting companion piece. Both films are about exhausted financially strapped men pushing 50 who are still chasing past glories and unfulfilled dreams well past their expiration date.
5:00 PMMickey Rourke (a lot more on him if you scroll down), Kerry Washington, Taraji P Henson, John Malkovich, Darren Aronofsky, Debra Winger, Rosemarie DeWitt... lots of famous faces flashing at us, some of them probably trying desperately not to think about the Oscars tomorrow. Ben Stiller is talking at us to introduce our host Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder, Hamlet 2). Why is it that I think Stiller is so funny when he's playing himself and not so funny in actual movie roles? Jokes about "most of us haven't seen these films"... why do I get so much flak for suggesting Hollywood types don't watch all the nominated movies and yet, they themselves joke about it constantly. (sigh) He's joking about how the Oscars are orgies of backpatting for beautiful people. At the indie spirits they're beautiful on the inside instead. People don't seem to think this joke is funny. Neither does the cameraman because they cut to Aaron Eckhart and Jenny Lumet (both classically beautiful, neither apparently amused)
...and then he's on to talking about Penélope Cruz and making lesbian jokes. Weird segueway.
5:10 Jonathan Demme is wearing an orange t-shirt. For a second I thought it had Obama's face stencilled on it. The face being inescapable. Even when we're celebrating movies.
5:20Best Supporting Actor goes to James Franco for Milk.Haaz Sleiman does not win but you can't really types "loses" when the subject looks like this...
<--- (yeah, like that) 5:25Best First Screenplay goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk, beating Jenny Lumet for Rachel Getting Married (it's going to be a Milk day obviously. But then the Indie Spirits usually end up sucking up to one of the main Oscar nominees. Last year it was Juno for everything). Black gets political and says we can't wait 30 more years for equal civil rights for gay and lesbian citizens. It'll be awesome at the Oscars to hear this spoken aloud (since he'll win there, too).
5:30First Feature goes to Charlie Kauffman for Synecdoche New York. He thinks "best" is "crap"... I think that's a nod to his competitors but the speech is kind of jumbled so who knows. The speech is not circular or full of allusions or depressing or, in short, anything like his movies.
5:32Best Supporting Actress goes to Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She's the only Oscar nominee in this lineup so winning the Oscar isn't the same battle at all. But her speech (she hasn't prepared one is really fun) and I love the story about Woody Allen actually leaving the set to see his dermatologist (new freckle discovery) on the day she was making out with Scarlett Johansson. Debra Winger loves this story too. It's nice to see her laugh. I love that Misty Upham (Frozen River) is all dressed up. At the Spirits!
5:45 John Cassavetes Award goes to ??? I forgot already. This is the type of movie one senses the Indie Spirits exist for. But if they didn't include all the Hollywood stuff nobody would watch the show.
5:55 No fair. No song to introduce Rachel Getting Married. Just a song from the movie.
6:00Documentary goes to Man on Wire. Shortest speech of the night. Basically 'thanks'. It was presented by Batman and a fake Joaquin Phoenix. Kinda funny but I have to admit --you miss a lot when you live blog. I don't even know who that was making the Bale "we're done professionally" jokes. How fresh!
6:05Melissa Leo wins Best Actress for Frozen River. Rachel Getting Married is going to lose everything but great films are their own reward. I'm watching this show with two friends one says "She made her dress from the Golden Girls couch!" The other says "She looks like a Relief Society President" You'll get that if you're Mormon but otherwise you're out of luck. But maybe you know enough about Mormons to know. They're taking over. Mormon raised at least: Amy Adams, Aaron Eckhart, Eliza Dushku, Dustin Lance Black. They're everywhere! When I was a wee tyke the only celebrities who were "a little bit" Mormon (past or present) were Donnie & Marie.
at some point in this presentation Teri Hatcher did a really disturbing "Bitch is Back" number celebrating Wendy & Lucy. I don't think Michelle Williams knew what to make of it but since she isn't exactly a "loud" actor or a "loud" personality it's anyone's guess what she was feeling.
6:11 Some woman won some award. That's all I know. See what I mean about missing things while live-blogging. She's from Seattle. There's some specificity for you!
6:15 I want this to be over.
6:somethingor other Rosie Perez is presenting something and says 'I hate Penélope Cruz.' I love Rosie Perez. Why doesn't Hollywood? 6:29 The Class won foreign film. Yay! So I got to see my silver medal director Laurent Cantet.
6:30 Cinematography goes to Maryse Alberti for The Wrestler. Director Darren Aronofsky accepts. I love that he always says "I'm Darren". For a brilliant auteur he sure doesn't waste a lot of time selling himself. Could you imagine M Night Shyamalan's trademark intro being "Hi, I'm M"?
6:32 Cameron Diaz gives the Robert Altman Award for to Synecdoche New York. Great cast that movie had. I just wish someone else had directed it. I love Kauffman's writing but I feel like his writing is too self-devouring for the same person who dreamt it up and wrenched it out of its creative womb to also try and visualize it. Just my take. Obviously, others disagree.
6:38 Rainn Wilson does a musical number for The Wrestler. I shan't torture you with a photo but Darren Aronofsky and Rachel Weisz find it amusing.
6:42 Laura Dern THE FACE presents Best Actor which goes to Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. I don't know if y'all checked that link the other day about "hair" and Oscar winners but if he wins tomorrow he'll be only the second Best Actor winner ever to win for a long haired role (the only other one was Jon Voight in Coming Home. His speech is on fire and it's spreading. It starts with a tribute to another 80s up and comer who never quite became what he was supposed to become (Eric Roberts -- Julia's brother, yes -- last seen in The Dark Knight) and I have to agree with him there. Someone give Eric another great role. If you've seen Bob Fosse's Star 80 you'll understand Mickey's shout out.
This might be the craziest longest most train-of-thought speech since Ally Sheedy won for High Art.
Update: Here is the whole thing...
To Darren Aronofsky ,who is worried about actors being scared away from working with him because of Mickey's story about how "tough" Darren is:
If they aint got the balls to bring it, then fuck 'em
He's crazy. He totally gets the room going. He cracks Laura Dern and Philip Seymour Hoffman up. He scandalizes Anne Hathaway with a story about wrestler's "banging chicks in the ass in the bathroom". Well done Mickey. This is what the Indie Spirits live for.
6:53 John Waters and quirk queen Zooey Deschanel make jokes about inflated budgets on these so called "indies". It's mildly amusing.
6:54Tom McCarthy wins Best Director of The Visitor. He's worried about following Mickey Rourke. No kidding. I love this guy although I wish the beard would go. He thanks "Dickie Jenkins" Hee. Richard seems very happy for him. And this also means more shots of Haaz.
6:59 Best Picture goes to The Wrestler. I'm happy for them. Darren... Just "Darren" please ... gets a full kiss from Mickey and the cheek kiss from his partner Rachel Weisz. Thank you. Darren calls The Wrestler a "Passion piece. We all bled to get here" It shows. Damn what a movie it is. I hope you've seen it by now. Twice. I'm not even that mad that Rachel Getting Married lost everything tonight. Because at least the awards went to fine films.
Whew. So that took even longer than usual. Which is saying a lot. I've been giving out some kind of virtual awards for my favorite movies since I was a wee kid... only they weren't public back when I was only seeing 12-15 movies a year and I thought Karate Kid and Splash ruled! I like to think of my own nominations and medals not so much as a publicity circus / popularity contest like the Oscars but more like a scrapbook of a moviegoing year. [editors note: Pssst. When December 2009 rolls around I plan to have a book of some sort ready for purchase celebrating 10 years of these awards. I hope you'll buy it to support the site.]
Nominations and medals in all 41 categories are up since, well, time is up!
FiLM BiTCH Awards 2008 traditional Page 1: Picture, Director and Screenplays Page 2: Traditional Acting Categories Page 3: Visual Technical Categories Page 4: Aural Technical Categories (and nom' tallies) extras Page 5: Extra Acting Categories Page 6: Heroes, Villains, Divas, more... Page 7: Best Individual Scenes Page 8: Even More Scenes (and nom' tallies)
The last categories I added were Action Sequence and Best Individual Scenes in case you missed that as I did it on the sly in the wee hours last night. Rachel Getting Married led the pack with 16 nominations but WALL•E took home the most medals of various colors, 11. Milk andThe Wrestler did well for themselves. The Class (France) and Reprise (Norway), my two favorite foreign films of '08 also scored gold. The Dark Knightand Australia were the most honored films that I didn't wholly take to but they sure had great moments.
Nathaniel is a francophile. French films hogged 17 noms / 7 medals
I hope you enjoy the awards and above all I hope you take this in the spirit it was intended. A nomination is a win after all. I enjoy nominating things more than picking wins which always feels so exclusive and which I always wish I could change days later (like the 5th spot in any category after nominations, actually). I always hope the awards inspire amusement, discussion starters and especially rental fodder. These 41 categories of things, people, elements, scenes, stars are what made it all worthwhile for me in 2008. I love the cinema. We fight sometimes but we always kiss and make up in the end.
up next: Indie Spirits live blogging today @ 4:30 PM. Oscar coverage and review over the next few days. Then on to 2009. Wheeeee *
Off Oscar (it's so rare this time of year! But my brain is wandering) All Things Fangirl worries about the soon to open Watchmen adaptation Funny or Die have you seen their Wrestler parody? It's kind of clever but it actually made me sad so I'm thinking... not funny. That said I think Alyssa Milano does a great Marisa Tomei. Who knew? BlogStageSpider-Man: the Musical. More on the Broadway casting Popnography is starting a series looking at gay superheroes How to Learn Swedish in 1000 Difficult Lessons "Strollers" this has nothing to do with movies but it cracked me up. You Are So Famous ObaMadonna MNPP on the Watchmen / blue penis issue. Clearly the answer to this question is not Crudup, the public or the agent. It's Zach Snyder.
All Oscar All The Time The Guardianhas a great interactive chart on Oscar win statistics. So fun. My favorite part is the hair chart. Did you know that Oscar prefers their women brunettes. I certainly didn't. Though it was clear that they hate men with long hair so if Mickey Rourke wins Sunday he'll be only the second long haired Best Actor winner! Boy Culture Hugh Jackman in L'uomo Vogue Just Jared Hugh's Oscar rehearsal The Envelope the mysteries inside the Kodak. What is the show going to be like? No one seems to know but to get people talking is the multi-year plan apparently The Wrap Audiences still love awards shows ... online, that is.
Who will be liveblogging the Oscars? I'll be doing the Indie Spirit duties tomorrow and I'll pop in a couple of times Sunday night but I'm not live blogging the Oscars per se. If you know of people who are, point us to them.
Just Because Help me continue to pretend that Bruce Springsteen is taking home his second gold man on Sunday.
He's not nominated but denial is fun. Try it!
Final Oscar Predictions (Elsewhere) In case you can't get enough. You can't, can you, sicko? Coming Soon sees only 5 prizes for Slumdog. I'd certainly be happier with that than my predicted 9. And foreign film to Departures. Hmmm, could be The Vulture Nate Silver (Mr. Statistics), having conquered electoral maps completely, now tries AMPAS. If you saw him on Keith Ulbermann you'll know that he blames "the computer" for his Taraji P Henson for Supporting Actress prediction. But he admits there's very very little data. Thanks, Kate! Week in Rewind thinks Viola's trump Penélope's gee-nee-us NY Post Lumenick thinks it's two repeaters for lead acting: Penn & Streep NY Times David Carr suspects it's The Dark Knight in both sound categories. I hope it's WALL•E personally but either would be a-ok.
Charlie Rose speaks with Mickey Rourke at length about his storied career and The Wrestler's road to Oscar Arts Beat Joss Whedon on Dollhouse. It premieres tonight. Popnography Joss Whedon and the gays Slant is done with the director's branch in the Academy. They have been in free fall, haven't they? In Contention shares the Peter Gabriel dropping out of the Oscar news. I don't know how y'all are feeling about this but limiting the performances to only 90 seconds each is just another clue to me that the Academy has virtually zero interest in this category. Why not just cut your losses and cancel the category for future years. Especially since the choices year after year leave a lot to be desired.
Flick Filosopher Should the character of The Joker be retired from movies? Topless Robot looks at the most dysfunctional superhero couples of all time. For Valentine's Day. Only two of these crazy romances have ever made it to the screen. You know which two. Fabulon Madonna & Boy Toy Lazy Circle even Angelina Jolie freaked out by baby crazy Nadia Suleman Film of the Month Club looks at The Three Caballeros. God, I haven't seen that in decades. Film in Focus is finalizing a "who inspires you" contest by way of Milk 1 more
Finally, did you know that Anne Hathaway will be doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer? She's doing Twelfth Night but Twelfth Night is not as kind to everyone as it was to Gwyneth Paltrow, you know? Twelfth Night in the Park is, are you ready for this, the same thing that Michelle Pfeiffer did immediately following her first Oscar nomination. The levels. The difference is that Anne is playing Viola and 'chelle played Lady Olivia back in the day. Here's hoping that Anne has an easier road with critics than Michelle did. That 1989 production is still cited as a terrible one in articles on New York's beloved seasonal event. Critics were not kind to the fresh Oscar nominee back in 1989.
Jane Fonda's Blog!!! Why is it that it took me 29 whole days to discover that she was writing a blog? I lurve me some Fonda. Topics so far have included the inauguration, her father as Abraham Lincoln, dreams of Bob Redford, her dog, her dressing room (she's rehearsing for a play) and Danny Boyle --yes, Slumdog Millionaire has invaded ever nook and cranny of everything. I am pretty sure that Slumdog Millionaire was appearing in some way on every channel on my cable box yesterday and every website I visited, too. I think I accidentally sprinkled some Slumdog Millionaire on my pizza today. If you cut me I would bleed Slumdog Millionaire. (February 23rd can't come quickly enough!)
Mighty God King defines "nerdy". It needed to be done TMZ assaults Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins with questions at the airport. I don't think he's used to this treatment, god bless. Slant insightful piece on Oscar's best score category Erik Lundegaard gives out "Lundys", a fun award for the best review of each Best Picture nominee Pop ElegantariumHarold and Maude finger puppets? I'm dying here
popbytes Scarjo is blonde no more! The Bad and the Ugly brings together all the Dollhouse promos. Eliza Dushku makes me drool. Drooling is not good for keyboards Ephemerist on the preparations for the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack The Carpetbagger amused by Jon Stewart's take on Benjamin Button. Have you seen it? So funny. Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves Poor Puppy Bale. Daddy is a mean one
..and a couple of Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue photoshoots for Australia and The Wrestler
Here are some photos if that vid is not enough... and how could it be since there's no ... COVER. Argh.
Today, post-inauguration, I was suffering from a wicked hangover (I blame Katey) so I felt as old as "Randy the Ram". But you always have to get back into the ring. Especially if you're a one trick pony and it's all you know how to do. I had to get back in my ring (movie awardage). I've been doing it so long I think I'd feel empty without it.
The Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow and, as is this site's tradition, that means all the nominees for the traditional categories in my own prizes, the Film Bitch Awards, had to be announced today. (If you're a new reader, check out last year's)
I never know quite how they're going to turn out while I'm doing them. I didn't really expect WALL•E to lead but it has. It has 9 nominations in total. Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler are tied for the runner up spot with 7 nominations each. Oscar's presumed nomination leaders The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire only ended up with 4 between them (oops) which is lower than I assumed it would be though Milk and The Dark Knight (two other AMPAS hot topics) did well with 6 nominations each. That number will sound low to Oscar watchers but double digit tallies are rarer here since I like to give credit where it's due... which is usually all over the place.
This was difficult to wrap up since Costume Design and Cinematography were the last to be posted and I love both crafts dearly. Would I end up honoring Cate Blanchett's red dress in Button or Poppy's huge boots in Happy-Go-Lucky or maybe Carrie Bradshaw's giant flower ensembles from Sex & the City? None of the above as it turned out which surprised me. But I couldn't go without Julianne Moore's carnal and brutal wardrobe in Savage Grace (that bloody dress -gah!) And, even though I didn't love Australia (my review) I found ways to still appreciate. There's so many talented people working in the movies so here's to: Pin Bing Lee, Chris Menges, Maryse Alberti, Michael O' Connor, Danny Glicker and the other newly announced FB nominees.
Enjoy! (Medalists will be announced in February)
Page 1: Best Picture, Director and Screenplays Page 2: Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress Page 3: Visual Technical Categories Page 4: Aural Technical Categories (and the nomination tallies) * *
What did Mark Friedberg (pictured left) ever do to the Art Directors branch within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? For years he's been one of the most distinctive, inspired and original talents working yet he never seems to come anywhere near an Oscar nomination. Even the Art Director's Guild has only bothered to recognize his often breathtaking, amusing or mood enhancing work once (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). I bet you can conjure up images right now of his contributions to movies like The Darjeeling Limited, Across the Universe, Far From Heaven, Pollock, The Ice Storm and Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. But I don't have a Friedberg blind spot. I haven't forgotten his rich work on Synecdoche New York. He's one of the five Art Direction nominees in my ninth annual awards (this is Friedberg's third FB nomination. He received a silver medal for Far From Heaven in 2002).
I didn't care for Synecdoche which devours itself more mercilessly than Charlie Kauffman's other projects do --there's always a bit of the oroborus in his work -- but the crucial art direction and set decoration, which dwarf or trap or reflect the characters, go a long way to realizing the film's gargantuan ambitions.
What art direction, editing and scoring spoke to you this year? And have you been singing "The Wrestler" in the shower every day like I have? I can't get it out of my head. *
tuesday top ten ~ For the list lover in you and the list maker in me
The corporate sites have already dissected this (They have whole staffs for speed and analysis. I just have coffee and OCD) but I like a day or two to let it all seep in anyway.
10 Random Belated Thoughts on the Golden Globes
10 Kate Winslet's first win Category Fraud aside (The Reader is about her character, Hanna Schmitz), is there anyone who wasn't thrilled to finally see Kate Winslet win a major film prize as Best Supporting Actress? Anyone besides Penélope Cruz possibly (oh, that's mean. Another Almodovar film is coming out soon -- hang tight). Regarding The Reader: Who chose the film clips for this event? The clip from her holocaust film -- basically shots of its controversial sex scenes was a really strange choice. Not because it was too racy for TV but because it doesn't read at all out of context.
09 Everyone loves The Lovely Laura Linney™ Early in the evening, while those roaming camera interstitials were preparing us for commercials, gorgeous It Girl Anne Hathaway's face lit up with joy as she made a beeline for someone she saw. Turned out it was Linney. My face also lights up with joy when I spot her, doesn't yours? It's as if the glow off of those apple pie cheeks actually releases airborn endorphins. (Guilty confession: I still have not watched John Adams. It sits near my television, haunting me with its supersized running time. I'm allergic to long) 08 Awards Shows exist outside the Space/Time Continuum It's just a theory I'm working on.
'Tonight they're going to party like it's Nineteen Ninety ----- Four?'
07 Slumdog Sweep/ Swept Under the Rug? I don't understand the mass love for this movie. Particularly I remain bewildered that it's winning Screenplay prizes. Isn't the joy (what joy there is in the movie) all about the locales, the energy of the filmmaking, the color? Also: what happened to the Co-Director Loveleen Tandan? If someone could point me to a good article on why she is never nominated whilst the movie is nominated for dozens of directorial prizes, I'd like to read said article. It's possible I just missed something. But this situation is awfully familiar. City of God, another colorful "exotic" critical smash in the US also had a female co-director who was never mentioned once the awards started piling up.
06 Bruce Springsteen's delight ...was also mine. Who knew I'd get such joy from a Clint Eastwood related moment? Bruce was thrilled to be in the same category as him. I hope Bruce wins the Oscar, too. I can't get enough of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler or The Boss's "The Wrestler" for that matter.
05 My God, but I missed the Globes last year! I spent the entire evening with a huge grin on my face. Oscar season is not the same without the Globes. I love that they'll give awards to people like Sally Hawkins and Colin Farrel, both of whom are highly unlikely to imagine as Oscar winners (Deserves got nothing to do with it), and there's interplay between the stage and the audience (Emma Thompson "coaching" Sally Hawkins through her speech. Only here) and it's still disreputable enough to include off color coke jokes and obscene hand gestures
04 Mickey's Rourke's Acceptance Speech It felt as honest as his Wrestler performance. A tribute to a young agent who risked his career to represent him when he was down and out. A tribute to his dead dogs (sniffle). Oscar nomination ballots are already in but this speech and its reception (standing ovation) ought to help his Oscar campaign. I still believe that Sean Penn will win the Oscar for his amazing performance as Milk, but Rourke might be a stronger competitor than previously imagined.
03 Angelina hates critics but loves the Hollywood Foreign Press ? I'm just guessing. Remember how severe she came off at the BFCA Awards when Hathaway won Best Actress... but then there was this lovely girlish warmth at the Globes as Slumdog Millionaire won its millionth prize. Later a big smile, rather than a stony death stare, for Kate Winslet who'd actually forgotten her name. Maybe she just hates Anne Hathaway?
Oh relax. I'm kidding. There's this strange notion flying around the web that I don't love Angelina Jolie. This is preposterous. I've been on Team Jolie forever. So, here's to Angelina! She's not always my favorite actress but when it comes to celebrity... [cue music] "nobody >currently< does it better. makes me feel sad for the rest. nobody does it half as good as her. baby you're the best"
02 Reaction Shots are Manna From Heaven They just are. Stars that don't show are stingy. They're depriving us of the civilian's right and joy: to project often inappropriate, highly speculative and dramatic emotions onto their passive visages.
01 Kate Winslet's Second Win Double trouble. She's not the only actress to be a double winner @ the Globes but she's the youngest. But then, isn't Kate the youngest everything in terms of, well, everything. When you're tied with Marlon Brando for youngest actor to amass five Oscar nominations you're already a winner in every conceivable way a moviegoer or actor might define "winner". This is a blessed life we're talking about.
That's why the backlash has already started. The first win people seemed overjoyed for her. But the second? Notice how angry people are getting across the internets re: her "desperation" and "greed". While it's conceivable mathematically that she repeats this twinner at the Oscars in a month or so, I pray that she doesn't. Not because I think the The Reader situations screams Category Fraud (which often supports "greedy" claims) but because I can't imagine the size of the backlash if she were to be a double winner at 33. Jodie Foster had two Oscars by the age of 30 but she didn't win them both in one night. Forget everything Kate has contributed to the cinema. If she pulls it off I predict that people will not want to see her for a good long while afterwards, and that includes Oscar voters. But that does not include me. Kate is always welcome in my cinema. I'm not ready for her to "peak" or to head off into semi-retirement at 34, you know?
Generally the making of a top ten list is cause for Sophie's Choice style agony but drafting 2008's list was unusually pleasant. Which is to say that the best films this year weren't as aggressively audacious or as eager to thrown down artistic and technical gauntlets as There Will Be Blood and No Country were last year (with the possible exception of Steve McQueen's prison drama Hunger which opted not to open in New York, thus making it ineligible for my list). Perhaps filmmakers were ahead of the curve and foresaw the wave of cautious optimism that was about to start rolling around the world. Consider the turn about from the following filmmakers who are no strangers to dour moods: Mike Leigh opted for cheer and generosity of spirit, Woody Allen made his sunniest film (quite literally) in years, and Gus Van Sant understood that "you gotta give them hope". Honorable Mentions / Runners Up
Moodily stalking this year's top ten films, is a lonely Swedish girl who reluctantly goes by the name of "Eli". She's 12 years old. She's been 12 years old for a very very long time. She's both the love interest and the monster in the haunting horror flick Let the Right One In. Director Tomas Alfredson obviously has filmmaking in his blood (his dad, brother and girlfriend are also in the business) and his breakout hit pulses with memorable creepy imagery and smart directorial choices, especially in its first half...
As In Contention recently reported, the Detroit Film Critics have given another Supporting Actress prize to my girlfriend Marisa Tomei. I couldn't let this pass as, despite my critical fatigue I am a Detroit boy. I grew up dreaming about being the film critic for the Detroit Free Press. Which means of course that I wouldn't have a job anymore.
Pic & Dir: Slumdog Actor & Supporting Actress: Mickey Rourke & Marisa in The Wrestler Actress: Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
This is great fun since Tomei's character in The Wrestler , "Cassidy/Pam", could so easily have been imagined as a Motor City transplant (the movie takes place in New Jersey). Apparently this puts Marisa at a tie with Penélope Cruz in most supporting actress precursors (I wasn't aware... pile enough critics awards on me and my brain goes as slushy as Detroit roads this time of year) though of course teensy critical notices are not as powerful as a SAG nomination in drawing Oscar's attention. Still, I think she'll be nominated. I spoke with Marisa again last week and I'll share some of that conversation with you after Christmas. But I'll drop this little tidbit for now: I was pleased to hear that she's a big fan of Milk --"it blew me away" she said. Here's hoping it blows other movie-loving Academy members like her away since Slumdog, Frost/Nixon and Doubt seem to hogging the media attention (at least this week).
Two other critical awards I haven't yet discussed in case you're less insatiable than I: The Women's Critics Circle which have rather unique awards no Best Picture just "Best Film About Women" which went to Changeling (how anyone can think that's a better film about women than Rachel Getting Married or Frozen River I will never in a million years understa--oh, right Clint Eastwood. Got it) and The African American Film Critics Association which went like so...
Picture & Supporting:The Dark Knight & Heath Ledger Dir: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire Actress: Angelina Jolie, Changeling (her only critics award this year (no the Satellites aren't "critics" prizes) Actor: Frank Langella, Frost/NixonSupportingActress: Viola Davis, Doubt
I am making a vow for next year right here and right now. No critics organization that doesn't keep an updated webpage will be included in my awards coverage. I'll just ignore them entirely. It'll make things more professional and easier on me. The AAFCA and the WFCC are yet two more that haven't updated their websites in several months.
As we discovered earlier today with the SAG nominations, the Oscars are all but over, a month before the nominations are announced: Slumdog Millionaire will win. Barring Benjamin Button becoming a huge hit (iffy) with the public when it opens @ Christmas, Slumdog just has too large a constituency to leapfrog. Especially when the other Best Picture hopefuls have larger obstacle to a win (genre, gay focus, too lightweight, etcetera).
Today the Danny Boyle inspirational picked up it's umpteenth BP win from Florida's Critics. I was born in Florida so I perk up whenever I hear "Florida" though what follows those three syllables is almost never something I want to hear what with Bush dynasties, hanging chads, anti-gay legislation and hurricanes as frequent chasers. The good news: The Wrestler picked up both Actor and Supporting Actress and it probably needs whatever teensy attention it can muster at this point. They so miscalculated with the mid December release date for such a small and seemingly modest movie. It needed time to sink in as a contendah. Full list of Florida winners here. On a 'they clearly don't take this too seriously' note, the Florida Film Critics web page hasn't been updated since 2006. If they don't care why should we?
And Your Little Blog, Too attends a Wrestler event with Rourke & Aronofsky taking questions Burbanked's insightful nervous look at the Terminator: Salvation trailer Public School Intelligentsia the most vicious review of Changeling since at least the NYFF IFC top ten lists spreadsheet Sunset Gun great influential fashions onscreen AV Club 17 worst films of 2008
The House Next Door a positive review of Revolutionary Road that doubles as a book review The Big Picture translates the letter to Twilight fans from the franchises' new director Chris Weitz (American Pie, The Golden Compass) Art of the Title on Raging Bull (1980) The Hot Blog Steven Soderbergh talks to a semi-hostile crowd at Che Guardian is Guy Ritchie sexing up Sherlock Holmes? Ephemerist "first" diagrammed
and the Wolverine trailer because you should all love Mr. Jackman, with or without the pointy claws... X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD
The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel Rogers, gemini, actressexual and cinephile. All material herein is written and copyrighted by him, unless otherwise noted.
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