Congratulations to The Sexy Locker !

Wow. The Hurt Locker actually pulled off the Producer's Guild Award win. Take that Avatar, biggest hit of all time (when not adjusted for inflation or inflated 3D ticket prices... let's keep perspective, media. I know that's a lot to ask). This is a bigger deal for Kathryn Bigelow's war drama than those multiple critics awards, at least where the Oscar race is concerned.


Soooo... do you think it means anything for Hollywood's big night? Or do you think Avatar will steamroll given its worldwide dominance? Or maybe those long weeks before the final votes come in (geez, we haven't reached nominations yet!) will shake things up yet further. Which film could gain a second third wind?
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Supporting Actressness ala StinkyLulu: The Question of "The Coaster"

ala StinkyLulu

Yesterday was the deadline for Academy Award voters to submit their nomination ballots and, perhaps because of that fact, I find myself thinking about what appears to be the single remaining mystery about this year's contest for Best Supporting Actress: who will be the category's "fifth" nominee?

Yes, a nomination/win for Mo'Nique seems inevitable, as do nominations for Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. And with momentum for the women of Nine seemingly stalled (along with everything else about that film), it seems nearly certain that Julianne Moore'll be wrassling with the women of Inglorious Basterds for that special invitation to this year's ceremony. But I can't shake the feeling that this year's Supporting Actress category feels especially ripe for what I call a "coaster" nominee (my term for when a surprise Supporting Actress nomination comes as part of the general sweep of nominations for a particular film).

I have spent upwards of four years thinking seriously of such Supporting Actressness over at StinkyLulu. And after many a Smackdown and Blogathon, I have come to realize that many (if not most) years arrive with a "coaster" nomination for a performance that would almost certainly not have otherwise made the cut had it not been part of one of that year's nomination sweepers. Often such coasters are a delight (like Joan Cusack in Working Girl, Abigail Breslin's Little Miss Sunshine, or last year's Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) but, perhaps more cynically, coasters also serve to boost a juggernaut's total nomination haul. (Love ya, Queen Latifah, but you know what I'm saying.) I mean, Gloria Stuart's 1997 nomination made for a great Oscarphile story but does anyone really think it would have materialized had Titanic not been the nomination-hog that it was?

Which brings me to a potential 2009 "coaster" nomination that seems entirely plausible:
Just think: With her existing Oscar cred, and given the major campaign for her Supporting Actressness already underway, Sigourney seems perfectly poised to be "the one" to break Avatar into one of the acting categories. She also appears ideally situated to break the glass nomination ceiling for the kind of techno-hybrid acting (part traditional acting, part voicework, part motion capture) that's increasingly part of any seriously working actor's repertoire. And imagine the publicity -- both for the film and for the broadcast. It's a perfect storm of possibility and the phenomenon of the Supporting Actress "coaster" seems only to better the odds.

Yet, to be absolutely clear, I am NOT expecting Sigourney Weaver to be a "coaster" nominee for Avatar. But, all things considered, I would not be at all surprised to hear her name called in two Tuesdays, either. And I'm near certain at least one "coaster" nominee will be part of the final roster of nominees.

But what do YOU think, TFE readers?

Who do YOU think will be
this year's "coaster" nominee in
the Supporting Actress category?

"An Education: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire"

What exactly would An Education: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire look like, Mr George Clooney? One can only imagine. Just last week at my own blog, Stale Popcorn, I imagined Mo'Nique's "Mary Jones" as a twist on James Cameron's Terminator T-1000 character, but I think transplanting Lee Daniels' tale of Claireece "Precious" Jones to 1960s England is a little bit out of my reach, but I'll give it a try.


Perhaps instead of Jenny Miller's (Carey Mulligans) parents being the class-struck doters that they are they are instead evil and monstrous as personified by Mo'Nique. That would certainly push Jenny into the arms of Peter Sarsgaard even further, even once she realised his hidden secrets. Or maybe Jenny, instead of being a smart and talented musician, she is an illiterate and morbidly obese teen who steals fried chicken and gets impregnated by the creepy, but "light-skinned", Sarsgaard. The possibilities are... well, not exactly endless, but it's fun to play around.

Makes me want to play musical chairs with the other films from the season. How about a musical about the existential crises that befall a United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal crew in the Iraq war? Throw in some of The Last Station and Jeremy Renner can sing his big number "War, What Is It Good For?" to Leo Tolstoy and you know Elaine Benes would be a fan! Maybe George Clooney can catch the wrong plane and end up flying to Paradise Falls with a crotchety old man and annoying child in tow. What about a movie in which aliens land in Johannesburg, South Africa, and instead of waging war they challenge the Springboks to a game of rugby. It can be called Distvictus! Or Inglourious Avatars? You'd have to make up your own story for that one.

Do you have any mix-and-match movies you'd like to see brought to life out of the embers of this awards season?

The Hurt, Precious, Inglourious, Crazy, Complicated, Blind, Single, Serious, Up-in-the-Air 2010 SAG Awards Liveblog!

txt critic liveblogs SAG

Greetings all. I've just returned from my shitty movie day with my Quizno's, Tasti Delite and Orville Redenbacher in tow, ready and super-pumped for this evening's festivities. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts along the way!

6:17 EST: Revelation from Giuliana Rancic: "Guys, when TV stars and movie stars mix, anything can -- and usually does -- happen."

6:31 EST: She just suggested to Ed Helms that Susan Boyle appear in the "Hangover" sequel.

6:32 EST: Tracy Morgan: "Morgan Freeman could be my daddy."

6:35 EST: Ross the Intern just asked Carey Mulligan "Where is Shia LaBeauof tonight?" and she looked flustered and said "I don't know" (i.e.: "You're not allowed to talk about that"). Awkwaaaaaard.

6:50 EST: Questions are being asked about what Ryan Seacrest does in steamrooms.

6:57 EST: Apparently, the first award of the evening -- for Best Stunt Ensemble -- has been given to "Star Trek."

6:58 EST: Tina Fey just confronted Giuliana with "Are you one of the ones who took a big steaming crap on me last week?" Effing Awesome. For the record, I don't care what anyone says, I LOVED that dress.

7:08 EST: You know you're stoned when you see a commercial for "Valentine's Day" and think for the first time: "Hm, maybe that won't be so bad."

7:12 EST: Me still no likey Jon Hamm + beard

7:19 EST: Whoa, Meryl Streep is wearing a beautifully ugly dress. LOVE it.

7:25 EST: "An Education" seems to be buying a lot of TV spots for this E! pre-show. I know a lot of people who love it. I am not one of them.

7:39 EST: Is it wrong that I completely forgot about the TV awards? I totally associate the SAG awards with movies.

7:47 EST: Gabby Sidibe appears to be WILDLY drunk, and confirms her place as my favorite person at these awards. She just confessed that she's never watched the SAG awards.

7:55 EST: Holy hell. Why do I still get surprised when Helen Mirren shows up somewhere looking sexy as shit?

7:59 EST: Adam Lambert, diva that he is, is the last guest to show up before the awards start. Wait, why is he here?

8:04 EST: Jeremy Irons is wearing sunglasses indoors. Hrm, his pretentiousness is offset by his yellow-and-red bow tie.

8:07 EST: Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Me say it's Baldwin, though him, Steve Carell and Larry David are all consistently great. I've never seen "Monk" or "Two and a Half Men," so I can't speak for Shalhoub or Sheen. And it's... Baldwin.

8:09 EST: Fuck, Christoph Waltz is handsome.

8:13 EST: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. I've not seen "Samantha Who" or "The New Adventures of Old Christine." Noticing a theme? I don't really watch CBS except for Letterman. This will probably be Toni Collette. I'd be happy with Falco, Collette or Fey. Whoa, it's Tina Fey for "30 Rock"! Apparently, her 25th win from them.

8:14 EST: "I just want to take a moment to say to everyone at NBC... that we are very happy with everything. And happy to be there." So funny.

8:21 EST: There is currently a clip reel devoted to honoring/commemorating... Comedy. WTF? And set to the wackiest generic music you can imagine. I hate this.

8:23 EST: Man, Ray Romano just made a Kevin Bacon / Jon Hamm joke. Blech.

8:26 EST: Ensemble in Comedy Series. Even though I can't stop watching it, "Glee" consistently infuriates me. As great as the cast of "The Office" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" are, this should really go to "30 Rock" or "Modern Family," currently my two favorite shows on TV. I'm sure it will be "30 Rock." And it's.... "Glee"?!?! Christ! Okay, I guess none of my issues with the show have to do with the cast, but still! Eh, as long as Jane Lynch gets an award, I can't complain that hugely.

8:28 EST: Gabby and Mo'Nique present a clip from "Precious" while holding hands. Me likey.

8:29 EST: Helen Mirren is presenting BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

In a just world, would've been nominated: James Gandolfini ("Where the Wild Things Are"), Peter Capaldi ("In the Loop"), Garrett Dillahunt ("The Last House on the Left"), Robert Duvall ("The Road"), Saul Rubinek ("Julia")

ChrIstoph Waltz will probably win this, and he deserves to, but I wouldn't be angry with Woody Harrelson. Christopher Plummer is a threat to win simply because he's old, but the performance really isn't deserving. Damon is fine in "Invictus," but basically just has to shout things in a huddle.

I happen to adore Stanley Tucci, but I seem to be one of the rare few who thinks he's AWFUL in "The Lovely Bones" (though I don't outright hate the movie). He just piles on affectation after affectation -- like talking with a weird speech impediment -- that it feels like a parody of an actor playing a serial killer.

8:32 EST: Yay, it's Christoph! This is a thoughtful, eloquent speech, but it's not the YouTube clip, outpouring of emotion or fireworks display supposedly needed at an early awards like this. Luckily, the performance is strong enough that he doesn't need to rely on anything else to be the Oscar winner.

8:39 EST: Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series. The nominees are Patricia Arquette, Glenn Close, Mariska Hargatay, Holly Hunter, Julianna Margulies, and Kyra Sedgwick. I've never seen one episode of any of these shows. Wow, do I not watch any Dramas?

8:41 EST: And it's Julianna Margulies. Okay.

8:45 EST: Male Actor in a Drama Series. Simon Baker, Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie. Oh, I do watch "Dexter" and "Mad Men." I guess I do watch dramas, just not those boring, lady-driven TNT detective-esque dramas. Yay, Michael C. Hall! Though that Bryan Cranston clip reminded me that I need to start watching "Breaking Bad."

8:47 EST: I will try to cut down on my "An Education" hate, since I really don't hate it, but these clips just remind me that I don't understand what anyone is finding special about this movie. It's a nice, fairly entertaining, middle-of-the-road, learn-your-lesson movies made for grandmothers. But whatever I guess.

8:50 EST: Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series. Never seen "The Closer" or "The Good Wife" and I only half-watch "True Blood," but I love "Dexter" and "Mad Men." This should really be "Mad Men" .... and it is!

9:00 EST: As president of the SAG, Ken Howard is doing his duty by saying some very boring things for minutes on end. He was wonderful in "In Her Shoes."

9:02 EST: And now Sandra Bullock is beginning the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Betty White. Is it wrong that the former golden girl's appearance in "The Proposal" last year (ever-so-slightly) diminished the love I had for her?

9:18 EST: This "Extraordinary Measures" commercial seems to be advertising a much happier, smilier movie than the two-hour dying-children movie I saw this afternoon.

9:22 EST: Best Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series. This should really, really, really be Drew Barrymore. I always like her, but always find her more charming than actually thinking she gave a particularly special performance, but she was truly fantastic in "Grey Gardens." If this goes to her co-star Jessica Lange, it's purely because Lange is older..... Ahhh, awesome, it's Drew!

9:24 EST: Loved that speech. Even with all the "um, um, um," it clearly was coming from the heart. I don't presume to think we actually really 'know' any Hollywood celebrity, but she just seems like a genuine person.

9:27 EST: Best Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-Series. I didn't even hear of these films with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Wilkinson, and alas I missed "Georgia O'Keefe," but Kevin Bacon was terrific in "Taking Chance." It will likely be him... and it is.

9:33 EST: In Memoriam. I know they do it at every single awards show every single year, but I really wish they'd stop doing the applause-meter thing.

9:36 EST: P.S. We're 96 minutes into a supposedly-two-hour-long awards show, and they've officially given out ONE film award.

9:41 EST: SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

In a just world, would've been nominated: Catherine Keener ("Where the Wild Things Are"), Patricia Clarkson ("Whatever Works"), Marion Cotillard ("Nine"), Vera Farmiga (for "Orphan"), Melanie Laurent ("Inglourious Basterds")

Penelope was fun in "Nine" but she's playing the exact same role she won an Oscar for last year. I happen to love, love, love "Up in the Air" but count me among the few who doesn't think Vera was anything special in it. Sure, she's sexy and has great chemistry with Clooney, but I didn't think the role required a whole hell of a lot. Call me crazy. Kendrick and Kruger are deserving of their nominations, but not for the win. Mo'Nique will be winning this, and rightfully so.

9:43 EST: And like we all thought/knew, Mo'Nique won. She delivered a really excellent speech, to boot, one that seemed (to me) significantly more sincere than her Golden Globes one last Sunday.

9:51 EST: ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

In a just world, would've been nominated: Robin Williams ("World's Greatest Dad"), Nicolas Cage ("Bad Lieutenant"), Matt Damon ("The Informant!"), Tom Hardy ("Bronson"), Viggo Mortensen ("The Road"), Patton Oswalt ("Big Fan"), Sam Rockwell ("Moon"), Michael Stuhlbarg ("A Serious Man")

Honestly, anyone EXCEPT MORGAN FREEMAN would totally deserve this. Colin Firth was my personal favorite (though I didn't love the movie), but Clooney, Bridges and Renner are not far behind. Happy to see anyone win this, but it really should be (and will be) the long overdue Bridges. And unlike Winslet last year, it'll actually be for a deserving performance.

9:54 EST: Jeff Bridges for the win! Good for him. Meryl Streep encourages him to ignore the "Please Wrap It Up" cue.

9:56 EST: ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

In a just world, would've been nominated: Tilda Swinton ("Julia"), Ellen Page ("Whip It"), Catalina Saavedra ("The Maid"), Charlotte Gainsbourg ("Antichrist")

I want to see Gabourey Sidibe win this. Only her and Helen Mirren gave deserving performances, and Gabby is easily the best in the category. If Tilda had gotten nominated on the other hand... I still say if "Julia" had been put out by a distributor that had any money to support it (it was Magnolia), she would far and away be the frontrunner in this category. This will likely go to Meryl (snooze) or Sandra (cuts wrists). Thankfully, Carey Mulligan appears to have lost steam.

9:57 EST: Oh, fuck. Sandra Bullock. There are no words.

10:00 EST: Yes, yes, nice speech. But completely, completely undeserved. Just a little anecdote to share -- not saying it's related: I attended a SAG screening of "A Serious Man" a couple weeks back, and a gentleman behind me said to his screening partner that he was going to vote for Sandra Bullock even though he hadn't seen "The Blind Side," using the following rationale: "She's had such a long career, and she's always been good, as opposed to someone who just lucked into it like Precious."

10:01 EST: And Clooney clinches the best moment of the night by implying he's had sex with Betty White. And making the joke "An Education: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." Interesting that he's presenting the category that his film was surprisingly snubbed from.

CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

While Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike rocked the shit, I generally don't think the ensemble of "An Education" is worthy of winning an award. I also think that, aside from Jeremy Renner, the cast of "The Hurt Locker" has been a bit overvalued. "Nine" -- don't make me laugh. This should go to "Precious" or "Inglourious Basterds," and dare I say, it will go to one of them.

10:02 EST: And it does indeed go to "Inglourious Basterds." I'm very happy about it, but somehow it seems inappropriate for Eli Roth to (again!) be the one accepting the award, considering he gives the worst performance in the film.

10:05 EST: And it's over. Well, to be honest, I enjoyed blogging this more than the actual awards, so I don't how all y'all who were just watching it felt. Either way, whatever the reason, I had fun, hopefully you did too. Now, I'm off to drink in the East Village, and I'll leave you with the following words:

VOTE 'NO' ON SANDRA BULLOCK FOR BEST ACTRESS.

Viva Jeanne!

Jose here to remind you that the magnificent Jeanne Moreau turns 82 today.

Go and celebrate by watching Elevator to the Gallows, Diary of a Chambermaid, The Lovers, Querelle, The Bride Wore Black, Jules and Jim, The Last Tycoon or my favorite La Notte.
Heck you can even watch Ever After if only to enjoy that smokey voice narrating a fairy tale.

If you've seen those and love Jeanne, today's a perfect day to revisit them and if you're not familiar with the woman Orson Welles called "the greatest actress in the world", what are you waiting for?

Sundance Day 2: Last Flight Train To Vegetarianism

Time travel with me to yesterday
(and be back tonight for txtcritic's SAG liveblogging!)

So I did actually make it to Utah. Picked up press badge -- they apologized that my lanyard was pink. I promise you, festival volunteers, I'm not offended. Although I prefer the term 'lavender' -- and collapsed in hotel room for an hour. Went to first movie which, as it turned out, was a major slap-in-face perspective wise: it's tough to think about how much complaining I did about my 19 hour trip to get to a film festival in a resort town in the face of the world's largest hellish annual migration to places far less glamorous.

Last Train Home
Every year in China, millions upon millions of migrant workers travel out of the cities en masse for the Chinese New Year. It's the only time they see their families in the country all year. A more traditional documentary might have opened with a ton of onscreen text or talking head facts to tell you about this chaotic commuting phenomenon. Instead the film opens with evocative images of the migration, instantly engaging this Westerner's curiosity with only the slimmest factual details in text form, the rest you fill in from the drama you're watching. After the stunning opening, the film backtracks to watch a husband and wife working in the city and struggling to get tickets for this annual journey. Once we've settled in with the chatty worried mother and the quiet dad with unconcealed sadness all around his eyes, we travel with them to the bittersweet family reunion. It quickly sours. Their teenage daughter resents their annual lecture-heavy visits "stay in school, don't become like us" since she feels she barely knows them and they didn't raise her, their young son, who seems to have a bright sense of humor, might soon feel the same way since they harp on his grades continually. The family argues and everyone makes vague future promises everyone else knows they won't keep. And just when we're settling into the family drama, we're back in the city, the family separated again with the parents working their hands to the bone to provide cheap clothing to Westerners.


The subject is so rich that it could have easily prompted a multiple character examination or a lengthy complex fact-oriented talking head style docs. There's no 'talking heads' as it were, and even when the family members speak for the benefit of the camera, they'll rarely look at it... all of which makes this an intimate fly-on-the-wall experience. It's so hands off observational that it feels thisclose to being a dramatic narrative feature. For the most part this aesthetic is a strength but its not without its drawbacks. There's one breaking of the fourth wall moment that I'm not sure works -- despite taking place within the film's most gripping heartbreaking scene, since it makes you realize how much of the family story you might be missing since people know they're being filmed and all stories can be manipulated in the editing.

It's a heartbreaker but it's not without levity. We occasionally hear brief conversations among other migrant workers about their jobs, about the "fat" Westerners they know they're working for (the waist sizes on the jeans they make alarm them), about the Beijing Olympics (One man in a bar proclaims that the United States shouldn't win that many medals because they only have like 3 million citizens. Um...) and more of this would have been welcome since there's a lot of context and information that's only inferred but that we come closer to understanding in these tangential moments. This film was directed by a Canadian filmmaker and in addition to being quite a documentarian he also has one of the coolest names ever "Lixin Fan". A-

In other migration news... more important news apparently, he said sarcastically, considering the percentage of tweeting about it, Kristen Stewart arrived in Utah today. Didn't her mother tell her to dress warmly? This won't do.

photo src

I'm trying to find a way to love the Bella because I'm desperate to see The Runaways but the paparazzi (and Kristen) never help me in this goal. Does any super famous person today seem more bored by their fame? Note to Kristen: If you're bored with it, why shouldn't we be? The celebrity/civilian relationship is tricky and sacred and requires abstract reciprocation. When you enjoy it, we enjoy it. That's how it works, generally speaking. There are several ways to play the non-enjoyment of it and still delight fans but boredom is the trickiest one to get away with. That one usually only works if you're bored by it because of your principled devotion/obsession/commitment to something else.

But back to the movies.

Because I was exhausted after my 19 hour trip, I met Katey briefly for a cocktail party (turns out its hard to maneuver through crowded industry events when half the people are wearing huge winter coats. Who knew?), and then took in only one more film before sleep hit. Actually while sleep hit.

Vegetarian (Chaesikjuuija)
Lim Woo-seong's Korean debut feature was just weird enough to be thoroughly engaging despite the nodding off I was doing. [I can't say how well paced it was. It felt 7 hours long but I was struggling with heavy lids. not the movie's fault!] Vegetarians will definitely take issue with the movie for the simple reductive fact that the title character is gaunt and unhealthy and her diet is never separable from her mental illness: which, its immediately clear, is considerable.Why this isn't clear to her family members at the outset of the film is hard to gauge. Maybe they're all crazy, too?

All of the characters make questionable choices, but especially her violent domineering father and her brother-in-law who takes over the latter half of the movie with a new art project involving nude floral body art. Naturally, he wants his sister-in-law for the job.

Indeed, there's enough disturbing behavior in Vegetarian to power three films. At times it feels like the premise has done just that, with a psychological thriller, erotic liaison drama and family portrait all vying for control of the film and none of them really winning the war. Chea Min-Seo's performance in the lead role is brave. For whole scenes this haunted woman will seem barely there (an audience unfriendly choice given that she has to carry the film) but then flickers of truly vivid emotion: pain, alarm, sadness, arousal will flash across her face. Which is basically how the movie plays too: haunted and remote, with suddenly intriguing moments to seize your interest. B-

P.S. Given that two of the last three films I've seen from Korea have given actresses incredible roles (and that doesn't even include this year's failed Oscar submission "Mother", pictured right, which I haven't yet seen), I'm wondering if Korea is an unexplored cinematic landscape for my actressexuality? Are any of you well versed in Korean cinema. Are there more actressy riches awaiting me? Or is this all coincidental?

"Hold on to your butts."

Good day to all, txtcritic here.

I'm currently hung over from last night, when I went with a few friends to a midnight screening of "Jurassic Park" at our local Landmark Theatre (i.e. the only one in New York), the Sunshine. Aside from the fact that I'd never gotten the chance to see Spielberg's dino opus on the big screen (I was 7 years old when it was released, and chickened out at the last second when my family was going), it was a pretty unbelievable experience.

While sure, the silly flourishes stuck out even more on a big screen, I was taken aback by how well the movie holds up. It's paced incredibly well, the special effects are still staggering, and even when you know what's coming, some of those sequences still terrify; the T. Rex sequence at the halfway mark still had me fearing for the lives of Timmy and Lex. Not to mention it was a completely sold out crowd, applauding and cheering every few seconds, with "booooo"s in the appropriate spots (e.g.: the first appearance of the lawyer, Lex declaring "I'm a vegetarian"). Anyway, if you're in the area, they're showing it again tonight, and every weekend, the Sunshine shows a 'classic' movie, and usually a fun one to see at midnight with a crowd.

But I digress. I'm off to a shitty-movie-marathon day ("Extraordinary Measures," "Legion," "The Tooth Fairy"), but I should be back to my apartment around 7:00EST, when I will begin to drink and (attempt to) live-blog the SAG award red carpet arrivals, and then the awards themselves. It will be my first time really live-blogging, so bear with me as I work out the kinks.

Hopefully you'll join me tonight. Any long shots you're pulling for, or last-minute 'no guts, no glory' picks? Personally, I'd love to see Gabby Sidibe take Best Actress, and "Precious" or "Inglourious Basterds" throw a wrench into the awards race by taking Best Ensemble.

Jean Simmons 1929-2010

Jose here with some sad news.



British actress Jean Simmons passed away earlier today at the age of 80.
Over her long career she starred in more than fifty films and was nominated for an Oscar twice. Once for Best Supporting Actress in 1948 for playing Ophelia To Larry Olivier's Hamlet and then as Best Actress in 1969 in The Happy Ending which was directed by her then husband Richard Brooks.

Known for her angelical beauty she also proved her worth as a multifaceted actress playing an exotic native girl in Black Narcissus, her singing skills in Guys and Dolls (for which she won a Golden Globe) and the spoiled Estella in David Lean's Great Expectations.
She was rumored to be William Wyler's first choice to play Princess Ann in Roman Holiday but Howard Hughes-who owned her contract- kept her from doing it. One can only wonder what Simmons would've done in Audrey's iconic role.

The Runaways Poster

photo src

Brilliantly literal!
♫ ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb ♫
Best poster of 2010 already?! I hope to see this tomorrow. Or at least soon. Sundance!
*

Sundance Day 1: Howl at the Wind

My Sundance adventure is off to an extremely odd start. It's movie-less. I've been in Phoenix Arizona for so many hours now I feel like maybe I live here (gulp). And I don't know if you know this but Phoenix Arizona is not where the Sundance Film Festival takes place! Crazy ass rain and winds that want to grow up to be tornados have cancelled many flights. I was only supposed to switch planes! That was months ago.

Meanwhile, at the actual festival Howl premiered starring James Franco as Allen Ginsberg. They say he's pretty good in it, even if the movie is a mixed bag. I wanted to see this one but after last week I'm afraid I'll never be able to see Franco again without thinking of horny Japanese body pillows and threesomes with Liz Lemon. Oh 30 Rock you spoil us so!

A Japanese body pillow sounds awesome right about now. The airport floor is killing me. It's carpet that feels just like cement.

Modern Maestros: Roy Andersson

Robert here, with another installment in my series on directors who define our times. The difference between this series and the Directors of the Decade is subtle. Yet the change allows me to feature someone like this week’s Maestro, whose exposure may be too small to have impacted the decade, yet is one of the most imaginative directors currently working.

Maestro: Roy Andersson
Known For: Vignette filled films, examining the tragic-comedy that is life.
Influences: He claims Van Gogh more than anything. But there’s also some Fellini, Gilliam and Bergman (who Andersson believes to be overrated).
Masterpieces: Songs From the Second Floor
Disasters: his 2nd film Giliap was a commercial and critical disaster. But that was 35 years ago, not relevant to a series focused on the “modern”.
Better than you remember: Still, those who trashed that film were misguided.
Awards: Some awards here and there in Berlin and Cannes but never the Gold.
Box Office: His most recent, You, The Living is his highest grossing with over 21 thousand in the USA (suggesting that he’s slowly being noticed).
Favorite Actor: Andersson uses non-professionals. And he doesn’t use them twice.

Roy Andersson’s first film, A Swedish Love Story was released in 1970. That doesn’t exactly make a case for his “modern-ness.” The failure of his second film, 1975’s Giliap doesn’t exactly make a case for his “maestro-ness.” As a result Andersson sat out the next twenty-five years only to return in 2000 with a new style that was shocking, moving, unexpected and a film that was a downright masterpiece. Songs From the Second Floor (and for that matter his most recent film You, the Living) is comprised of several loosely connected, statically shot vignettes where characters, heavily covered in pan makeup live out the absurdity of life in the 21st century. One critic called it “Ingmar Bergman as realized by Monty Python.” Another described it as “Terry Gilliam’s subconscious pressed through Kafka’s meat grinder.” Indeed it was hard to describe. So, in lieu of trying to explain it myself, please enjoy this segment from You, the Living.


And so on it goes, sometimes surreal, sometimes sad, sometimes poignant. Andersson’s films continue a grand tradition of darkly comedic, intensely honest Scandinavian cinema. It may have taken him twenty-five years to get there, but I’m certainly glad he did. Many have pondered the meaning of his films and some have suggested they exist on a some strange Purgatorial plane. It's not surprising given his films' copious amounts of metaphor, religious imagery, end-of-the-world via traffic jam, parade of businessmen flagellating themselves, you get the picture. But Andersson insists, stylistic flourishes and all, they are a reflection of modern Europe. And they do not paint an optimistic picture. The consistent consistents in Andersson’s world seem to be depression, cruelty, dashed hope, and society against the individual. In fact, his two most recent films end on notes of personal and social Apocalypse that leave little reason for optimism (but still laughter). Not since Fellini has the world been presented as such a macabre circus (and even Fellini was often more sentimental about it).

This trick is about to go terribly, hilariously wrong.

No, tragic absurdism isn't anything new. But the overwhelming scope of Andersson's films and the sheer amount of honesty through constructed reality, qualifies him as a unique voice in world cinema. I wouldn't call him a "Director of the past Decade." His two films of the aughts have mostly been relegated to cult status, but his exposure is increasing. In the coming years his name will be one you'll hear again, and probably again. His films are a reminder of whats possible if you refuse to limit yourself to the literal and push the medium of film outside of it's preconceived borders. He's not revealed too much information about his next film (one hopes it maintains the spirit of his past two while exploring new ground) although he's mentioned he'll be sticking with the style and spirit that has made him one of the most unique filmmakers of our time.

A Little Light Reading

When you're reading this, I'm on a plane to Utah and the Sundance Film Festival. I'll be tweeting obviously so follow me on Twitter... but I also hope to pop in here with short bits from the fest. However, in case things are too crazy for blogging (this is my first time attending since 1998... and back then I was but a humble moviegoer with a random ticket or five), I've invited some extra guest bloggers to chime in. Most of them you'll recognize from their own fab blogs or from past guest stints here. Enjoy!

Whenever I'm on a plane I end up buying some cinema book I've had a hankerin' to read. This month that's Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America. Unfortunately, I already cheated and read the introduction "Warrenology".

...I had met a lot of stars, but never met anyone quite like him. Indecently gifted, he acted, he wrote, he directed, he produced. A brilliant mind. Tough. Analytical. Inquisitive. Hoovered up everything and gave back nothing. Funny. Self-deprecating. And good, or reasonably good, politics. And he was classy, had style to burn. Nothing and no one ruffled his feathers. He was Captain Cool, Mr. Natural. It cost considerable effort to present a lacquered exterior like his, but he pulled it off with seeming ease. Grace. That was the magic of it: you never saw the gears grinding. Norman Mailer, when he wrote about Beatty for Vanity Fair, called it "charm," tried to define it, and gave up.

I had never been a big believer in vaporous concepts like "charisma," which I filed away with "karma," "vibes," and "auras," but I'm embarrassd to report that when I was in his presence I felt an almost palpable sense of well-being, as if I were a better person because Warren Beatty liked me, or pretended he did.

I already ♥ it.
*

The Brits don't rock the boat.

Robert here, with a quick take on the BAFTA Nominations announced this morning.  Here are the nominees with a few comments.

BEST FILM
AVATAR
AN EDUCATION
THE HURT LOCKER
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE L
UP IN THE AIR

Ahhh, the days of five nominees flashing back.  All expected to make the Oscar final 10 (and perhaps a little helpful push for the sophisticated An Education).

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
AN EDUCATION
FISH TANK
IN THE LOOP
MOON
NOWHERE BOY


DIRECTOR
AVATAR James Cameron
DISTRICT 9 Neill Blomkamp
AN EDUCATION Lone Scherfig
THE HURT LOCKER Kathryn Bigelow
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Quentin Tarantino

Those who believe District 9 is peaking will have much to squawk about here.  It will still take much to break into what's the current expected five.  Still, thank you BAFTA for throwing in a few differences here and there.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE HANGOVER Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
THE HURT LOCKER Mark Boal
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Quentin Tarantino
A SERIOUS MAN Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
UP Bob Peterson, Pete Docter


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
DISTRICT 9 Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
AN EDUCATION Nick Hornby
IN THE LOOP Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE Geoffrey Fletcher
UP IN THE AIR Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
BROKEN EMBRACES
COCO BEFORE CHANEL
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
A PROPHET
THE WHITE RIBBON

ANIMATED FILM
CORALINE Henry Selick
FANTASTIC MR FOX Wes Anderson
UP Pete Docter


LEADING ACTOR
JEFF BRIDGES Crazy Heart
GEORGE CLOONEY Up in the Air
COLIN FIRTH A Single Man
JEREMY RENNER The Hurt Locker
ANDY SERKIS Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

I must admit to being unfamiliar with Serkis in this role.  Still his presence is quite the surprise.  We could chalk it up to British quirkiness.

LEADING ACTRESS
CAREY MULLIGAN An Education
SAOIRSE RONAN The Lovely Bones
GABOUREY SIDIBE Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
MERYL STREEP Julie & Julia
AUDREY TAUTOU Coco Before Chanel

Not that anyone doesn't love Meryl but will we finally have an award for Carey Mulligan?  We've been promising her awards all year... what a tease we've been.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALEC BALDWIN It’s Complicated
CHRISTIAN McKAY Me and Orson Welles
ALFRED MOLINA An Education
STANLEY TUCCI The Lovely Bones
CHRISTOPH WALTZ Inglourious Basterds

The inclusion of Baldwin is interesting (don't imagine he's inherently loved across the pond).  Should we be looking at this category as a sign that the Oscars aren't as set in stone as we think?  N

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ANNE-MARIE DUFF Nowhere Boy
VERA FARMIGA Up in the Air
ANNA KENDRICK Up in the Air
MO’NIQUE Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS Nowhere Boy

Definitely doesn't do much to clear up a slightly cloud Best Supporting Actress category.

MUSIC
AVATAR James Horner
CRAZY HEART T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton
FANTASTIC MR FOX Alexandre Desplat
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL Chaz Jankel
UP Michael Giacchino
 
CINEMATOGRAPHY
AVATAR Mauro Fiore
DISTRICT 9 Trent Opaloch
THE HURT LOCKER Barry Ackroyd
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Robert Richardson
THE ROAD Javier Aguirresarobe

EDITING
AVATAR Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
DISTRICT 9 Julian Clarke
THE HURT LOCKER Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Sally Menke
UP IN THE AIR Dana E. Glauberman

PRODUCTION DESIGN
AVATAR Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
DISTRICT 9 Philip Ivey, Guy Poltgieter
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS Nominees TBC
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco

COSTUME DESIGN
BRIGHT STAR Janet Patterson
COCO BEFORE CHANEL Catherine Leterrier
AN EDUCATION Odile Dicks-Mireaux
A SINGLE MAN Arianne Phillips
THE YOUNG VICTORIA Sandy Powell

SOUND
AVATAR Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson, Addison Teague
DISTRICT 9 Nominees TBC
THE HURT LOCKER Ray Beckett, Paul N. J. Ottosson, Craig Stauffer
STAR TREK Peter J. Devlin, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Mark Stoeckinger, Ben Burtt
UP Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, Michael Semanick

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
AVATAR Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones
DISTRICT 9 Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE John Richardson, Tim Burke, Tim Alexander, Nicolas Aithadi
THE HURT LOCKER Richard Stutsman
STAR TREK Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton

MAKE UP & HAIR
COCO BEFORE CHANEL Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen, Jane Milon
AN EDUCATION Lizzie Yianni Georgiou
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS Sarah Monzani
NINE Peter ‘Swords’ King
THE YOUNG VICTORIA Jenny Shircore

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
LUCY BAILEY, ANDREW THOMPSON, ELIZABETH MORGAN HEMLOCK, DAVID PEARSON Directors, Producers –
Mugabe and the White African
ERAN CREEVY Writer/Director – Shifty
STUART HAZELDINE Writer/Director – Exam
DUNCAN JONES Director – Moon
SAM TAYLOR-WOOD Director – Nowhere Boy

SHORT ANIMATION
THE GRUFFALO Michael Rose, Martin Pope, Jakob Schuh, Max Lang
THE HAPPY DUCKLING Gili Dolev
MOTHER OF MANY Sally Arthur, Emma Lazenby

SHORT FILM
14 Asitha Ameresekere
I DO AIR James Bolton, Martina Amati
JADE Samm Haillay, Daniel Elliott
MIXTAPE Luti Fagbenle, Luke Snellin
OFF SEASON Jacob Jaffke, Jonathan van Tulleken

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
JESSE EISENBERG
NICHOLAS HOULT
CAREY MULLIGAN
TAHAR RAHIM
KRISTEN STEWART

Taken on their own merit these nominations are fine if a bit uninspired.  There are some surprises yes, but most can be attributed to home-country love or release date differences.  I see nothing here that will shake up the Oscar race.  Do you?

The Deserving 10?

This is Piper from Lazy Eye Theatre here to talk some Oscars. For good or bad, Nat has asked me to help out while he is away. So here we go.

The Academy has taken a cue from Jessica Lang and gotten themselves a face-lift, and if you ask me, it ain't pretty. Come Oscar nom time, instead of the usual five pictures, we're going to see ten.

In the past where there has been exclusion, now there will be compromise. Out will be the talks of the one picture that got away, In will be the rants about the several that should be let go.

But I will admit, there is some intrigue involved in trying to guess what the ten supposed best pictures will ultimately be. Or at least some good fodder for a post. For me, the first four are no-brainers. You'll have your Avatar, your Up In The Air, Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. But what of the next six?

The Obvious Others:
Precious
Up
Invictus

On The Bubble:
Julie & Julia
The Blind Side
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Nine
The Informant!
The Lovely Bones
An Education

The Bizarro:
It's Complicated
The Hangover
(500) Days of Summer
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

So am I crazy? Have I missed something? Give me your ten and come nom time we'll see who's right. And as a bonus, I'm taking guesses on how long the already too long show will be with the inclusion of five more pictures.