Interview: The Return of Kirsten Dunst (A Very Good Thing)

at the NYC premiere
of All Good Things.

It might sound silly to say, but seeing her in the flesh is something of a shock. Kirsten Dunst has been in the movies for many years, and she's made such indelible mark in them, whether as a child vampire, an unknowable teen dream, a disciplined cheerleader, a superhero's better half and so on; one half expects her to flicker when one meets her,as if she's being projected still. But there she was earlier this month at a New York City luncheon honoring her heartbreaking work in All Good Things. Her image did not fade or dissolve but remained steady in medium shot. She ate, she sipped, she walked around the room talking with reporters, friends and peers.

There was, however, a close-up. We shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries. Then she was whisked off, not by a sharp edit, jump cut or a quick pan, but by her people taking her to the next reporter. Imagine it!

I remind her of the busy luncheon a few days later over the phone. She's already thousands of miles away.  This time, she's a disembodied voice which is surprisingly more familiar, like a movie image. "You were so in demand," I say, reminding her of the crowd and well-wishers.

"You know...," she says, and I do having been there, "A lot of babies to kiss. A lot of hands to shake."

Katie (Kirsten) fixes her husband's bow tie in All Good Things.

It's good to hear the smile in her voice and remember her amiable presence in the room that day. Especially considering the sadness that lingers from her fine work in All Good Things. People have won Oscar nominations for giving much less to their films than she does here, in one of her finest performances. She starts out sunny and delightful, the girlish woman we sort of recognize from numerous other films but she's soon torn apart by her husband's (Ryan Gosling) dark almost alien soul.  The film is based on a true story, the unsolved mystery of the disappearance of Katie Marks (Kirsten), the bride of the heir to a wealthy New York family.  I've followed her career enthusiastically for many years, once even referring to her as "the future of the movies" but naturally we start with the present and the subject at hand.

It's not the first time she's played a real life character but how did she tackle someone who isn't easy to research, someone who went missing? Here Kirsten cedes most of the credit to her director, who knew the case inside and out.

Kirsten: Everything that we knew about [Katie] is in the script. She's not a public figure. Yes, she's a real person but not someone that we know her mannerisms. It was really about making her feel like a whole person that was unravelling, as he was in a way, someone with her own strong motives so it wouldn't just be The Victim of this crime.

Doomed Love

Nathaniel: You have to have the full range of their romance.

Kirsten: That was so important. You have to believe these people were completely in love with each other in order for her to stay and to excuse the behavior.

Nathaniel: Did anything change a lot from filming to the finished movie?  You're acting piecemeal and the movie takes place over a really long span. Did anything surprise you about the finished product?

Kirsten: With every movie you kind of never know how exactly it's going to come together. I had an idea but obviously I wasn't there for the last half of the movie. [She pauses briefly, considering] ...I only saw Ryan in drag once on the set so I wasn't sure how all that was going to come together.

While we were working we played things very differently; we improvised a lot. The scene where he asked me to marry him was very different in the script. We got to play around a lot which was exciting. But you never know what it's going to end up being.

Nathaniel: I thought it was interesting that this movie  opened so close to Blue Valentine, another unravelling Ryan Gosling marriage, and then I remembered that you've worked with Michelle Williams before on Dick. Hollywood is a small world.

[more on All Good Things, Eternal Sunshine, and her favorite films after the jump]

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Eight Links: Unhinged Women, Union Protests, Unctuous Celebrity

Awards Daily "Women Unhinged" fun piece on all the bat-shit crazy lady characters fighting for Oscar recognition. We're glad to see Lesley Manville (Another Year) getting some attention in her week of snubs.
Movies Kick Ass sees and loves Paprika Steen in Applaus. What a performance that is.
Disney Blog I hadn't heard of this but apparently there's a union protest against Toy Story 3 outside of Academy screenings. Ruh-roh.
I Need My Fix whoa mamma. Check out this slit in Gwynnie's Country Strong dress.

DListed is thrilled that Tom Cruise still has hard nips. Um... okay. You know what I think is the real disturbing fountain of youth magic? That head of hair. Cruise is bothersome in so many ways but that hair? Still perfect.
Towleroad Kevin Spacey still refusing to come out, "never" will. Makes unconvincing case that asking him to do so is equivalent to bullying gay teens. Even threatens to record an "it gets better" video. (Please don't. Kinda too ironic like). Ah well, at least we have better braver less selfish celebrities emerging each year to change the world.
Sociological Images Have you been wondering what Geena Davis' organization "Institution on Gender in Media" has been up to?  Here are some charts about gender imbalances in family movies.

Just Him and His Shadow

GQ Cover boy Ryan Gosling dresses like a movie star. I love this bit on why he got a regular ol' job briefly after The Notebook

" 'I'd never had a real job,' he says. The problem with Hollywood, he goes on, is that nobody works. 'They have meals. They go to Pilates. But it's not enough. So they do drugs. If everybody had a pile of rocks in their backyard and spent every day moving them from one side of the yard to the other, it would be a much happier place.' "

I always thought this was a problem. I always find myself wondering how some famous actors who rarely work, kill time. You know they're not working at delis.

Jeremy Renner. Kirsten Dunst. It's "All Good..."

Here's some worthwhile reading today: a top ten list from Tom Shone. It's a performance list rather than a movie list and it's crowned by Jeremy Renner's dangerous ex-con in The Town. Shone goes so far as to compare Renner's gift to Steve McQueen's which is an interesting comparision but begs the question: Will Renner start getting major lead roles after his back to back successes with The Town and The Hurt Locker? Or has The Town - Hollywood not Boston - already fixated on him as a major supporting character actor? Either way, continued employment is assured which is a very good thing.

Shone prefaces his list claiming that he doesn't believe in "great acting" at least not the way it's commonly defined by the Oscars.

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*Live Blog* The Hollywood Reporter's Actors Roundtable

Y'all remember when I did this for the ladies so I figure it's twin-time. You have to have both pieces of a matching set. Not that I'm looking forward to this one as much. Impress or surprise me fellas! You're not actresses so you have to work harder to provide Film Experience jollies. (If you have time to watch the full video it's at the bottom of the post.)

1:00 Robert Duvall (Get Low) tells a rambling story about becoming an actor and reveals "my brothers were both professional singers." The Duvall Brothers, eh? I so wanna hear that record. Would it be like the Osmonds except with less smiling?

3:00 The discussion turns to acting as a rewarding profession. Colin Firth (The King's Speech) picks up this Duvall baton.

"You get to play all your life. Most people have to grow out of it. The fantasy thing stays alive which is wonderful. It can be a little hard on the people living with you..."

  He then reveals the dangers in staying a child when you're a grown-up. Those who do get very susceptible to external matters of fame; they become needy about attention and far too giddy if someone pats them on the back.

4:00 The first laugh of the hour comes from Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right) who pats Firth on the back. Right then.

Blazing young star and seasoned professional.

 6:03 Firth is still talking three minutes later but the thing that struck me here is realizing how young Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) is. He just turned 30 two weeks ago. I never think about this but seeing him in this context I'm suddenly like 'oh, yes. baby star' Sometimes I forget that though actresses are regularly giant stars in their 20s, the male actors take longer to ascend. 

7:00 This is funny. The reporters try to lead Firth to name projects he hated.

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Spirit Awards. What They Do and Don't Say About Oscar.

Now that I've had a day to think over the Spirit Awards (nominee discussion) and what they reveal and obscure about the Oscar race, here's a deeper look for my Tribeca Film column.

Eligible "Best Feature" Snubs
Blue Valentine, Get Low, Somewhere, Rabbit Hole
Not eligible for "Best Feature" or Acting Prizes
The King's Speech, I Am Love, Another Year, Animal KingdomNot eligible for anything
Toy Story 3, The Social Network, True Grit, The Town, Etc...

Remember last year when Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire swept the Oscars, becoming the first... oh, no, wait, that didn't happen at all. That was the Film Independent Spirit Awards. They take place the day before the Oscars each year. And they take place in a tent. We don't know the square footage, but it’s safe to say that it’s got nothing on the Kodak Theater. 

Generally speaking, the Spirit Awards are a looser, rowdier event. You can even wear jeans. As a group, they’re much more likely to honor African-American abuse dramas (Precious) or intimate character studies of "broken down pieces of meat" (The Wrestler) or teen pregnancy comedies (Juno) than the mainstream Academy is. In fact, in their entire 25-year shared history with the Oscars, the “Best Feature” and “Best Picture” prizes have only gone to the same film once.

...read the rest in my weekly Tribeca Film column.
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The United States of Gosling

Craig here, with a brief birthday big-up.

Ryan Gosling, dressed for birthday (and Oscar?) success

Ryan is the big three-o today. It's a big birthday - I hope he's celebrating in style.

With All Good Things and Blue Valentine both on the brink of release in the US (Dec 3rd and 31st respectively), it's never been a better time for Mr. Gosling. The year ahead, his 30th, could be his best. He's already chalked up one Oscar nom, for Half Nelson in 2007 - could January's nominations see another one for either of the two movies above? What do you think, readers? And whilst you're at it, give your answer to this question as a gift to Gosling today:

What is your favourite Ryan G performance?

LFF 2010: (Self-) Love Gone Blue

David from Victim of the Time, reporting from the London Film Festival.

“Why would I go to London?! No way!”

A wry chuckle greeted this on-screen outburst during my first public screening of the 54th BFI London Film Festival. I may have already sat through two and a half weeks of press screenings, but in that moment I knew the energy had changed now the festival had kicked into gear. Without the abundance of eagerly-awaited premieres and the bidding wars that come with them, Britain's premiere film festival is fuelled mostly by a pure love of the art of film. It’s my fourth festival, my second as a press delegate (follow the ‘London Film Festival’ tag to delve into last year’s coverage), and my first as a resident Londoner, so it’s a strikingly different experience for me. I’ll be rolling out capsules reviews – accompanied by as many full pieces as I can manage over on my own blog – for the next two weeks, and Craig (who writes "Take Three" right here) will be joining the party in a few days. (And if you really want to keep your finger on the pulse, you can track my tweeted first impressions here.)

The Opening Gala film Never Let Me Go already hit and sunk over on US shores (my review) but I won’t dwell. Let’s start with something that’s unfortunately become rather infamous…

"you always hurt the one you love ♫ "

Not a love that has broken, but one that has deteriorated. Blue Valentine never grants us the path of this deterioration, instead splitting the film into two snapshots that mark the beginning and the ending of a young marriage. Despite the different energies to the two narratives, Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are perceptive enough to make delicate connections between the two, and director Derek Cianfrance understands the inbuilt doubled effect of his techniques, knowingly entwining the two and cutting between them; the sweet sparkle of their chemistry in the happier earlier sequences will inevitably be coloured by the bitterness of the present tense narrative. Subtle elements of the filmmaking work to deepen the narrative - the camerawork between the juxtaposed narratives doesn't seem strikingly different, but the past is youthfully energetic, the present nervy and cautious. It’s hard, though, to really credit the film’s power to anyone but Gosling and Williams, both stronger than ever, translating aspects of their character that brought them together into ones that, perhaps inevitably, tear them apart. (B+)

There’s something oddly amusing about the catalyst for the admitted derth of events that unfold in Blessed Events; the stiff, awkward Simone (Annika Kuhl) is stiff and awkwardly dancing in a nightclub, and, in long shot, we see a man slowly but surely shuffling his rhythmic way over to her. She’s easily had, it seems, because within half an hour of this dry opening scene, she’s pregnant with Hannes’ (Stefan Rudolf) child and has set up house with him in a little country village. The complete lack of conflict seems intentional, and by the time the stubbornly cycling Simone crashes onto her large baby belly, even the rush of POV camerawork as she hurtles down the hill can’t raise our pulse into considering this a critical rupture. Complete disengagement from its simple characters – never do we plumb beyond the depths of Hannes as a cheerful father-to-be – is all very well, but the abundance of lame visual metaphors, comparisons and contrasts merely exposes the complete sterility of the project here. I hardly dare say that it’s a blessed relief when this is over. (D+)


Self Made. Make a different self. The seven volunteers chosen by artist Gillian Wearing for this intriguing British documentary appear to be from a fairly broad spectrum of British society, but there’s a reason they’ve been selected: there’s damage and insecurities to be exposed. Volunteers are, of course, willing, and the ultimate aim of the method acting workshop they collaborate on is to each make a short film where they can play themselves or a character that takes inspiration from their journey of self-discovery. It’s not the most inspired of filmmaking – inserts with Oxford English Dictionary exemplify the certain lack of imagination – but the main problem is in fact that there isn’t enough of a film here. It’s a tight running time that really needs to have been indulged, to let the individual journeys take on the significance that’s fleetingly seen in them. One participant is, for reasons unexplained, entirely unexplored, and some of the films we see are less inspiring than others. Yet once the nightmarish visions of the final participant start being unveiled, it’s hard not to be grimly fascinated by this glimpse into the sadder, dark side of the human experience. (B-)

To look forward to: Foreign Film Oscar submissions Uncle Boonmee, Of Gods and Men and The Temptation of St. Tony, pretty young people in Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats, a screaming man in A Screaming Man, and demonic twinkletoes in Black Swan.

All Good Links

Before we get to today's link roundup -- I went a little crazy as I sometimes do -- enjoy the heat sensor-like photography of the All Good Things poster. Perhaps Ryan and Kiki were a bit jealous of the ruckus Jake & Annie's nude poster caused online.

P.S. Jake Gyllenhaal is obsessed with Ryan Gosling. Just saying. I would try to quote his answer from Saturday night when the audience question 'who would you like to work with?' popped up but it was so rambling and long and confusing that I can't. But let's just say it began with Ryan Gosling, was jilted by Ryan Gosling via text "I'm busy" and then ended again with a circular non sequitor shout of "Ryan Gosling!" Jake likey. Ryan Gosling is what you might call an actor's actor... since everyone seems to want to work with him.

On to the linkage...
Candy Magazine A double take of pleasure. Yes, that's James Franco to your left continuing his trans formation from one of the great herd of Hollywood pretty boys to an actually interesting celebrity.
My New Plaid Pants is an über fan of Let the Right One In. Doesn't hate Let Me In. Since the response has been so positively muted like "it's good: also, a recreation" I've decided not to see it.
Broadway.com Carrie the Musical being revived. Wow.
Cinema Blend Me pal Katey basically says all I have to say about the trailer for Julie Taymor's Tempest so I don't need to cover it here. What she said, minus the positive bits since I liked the movie even less than she.
The Big Picture Tony Curtis grand sendoff in Las Vegas
Hero Complex Emma Stone will play Gwen Stacy in the new Spider-Man. I'm glad that early reports were wrong. Why do the whole Mary Jane story again. That said, isn't it weird that someone known as a redhead is going to play Spidey's favorite blonde and someone known as a blonde was cast as his favorite redhead. Weirdness.
The Awl Sasha Frere-Jones and Natasha VC on The Social Network. If you haven't read enough yet, it's fun as always to read these two.
50 Best Theater Blogs I'll have to investigate this list.
Just Jared Joseph Gordon-Levitt lost his older brother. So sad.
Towleroad celebs speaking about gay bullying on Larry King Live
Movie|Line offers tips to Renée Zellweger on how she could regain her A list status. I love the suggestion of a brilliant twitter feed. I hope she calls it @Zeéeee after my new nickname for her. Zeéeeee reads me right? *

Double Duty!
Movielicious Have you seen this great mashup poster for Toy Story and Tron? I wish I knew who did it to give them proper cred.
Scott Feinberg "Are Bening *And* Moore All Right." Some smart words on the The Kids Are All Right Oscar campaign.
John Luciano a Calvin & Hobbes mashup with Let the Right One In. Teehee. I used to love Calvin's girlcrush but can't remember her name right now

*Obviously I am kidding. Someone I am acquainted with who works in the industry once told me that every star googles themselves --whether they admit it or not -- and is familiar with their biggest cheerleaders and nemeses online. But I chose not to believe her because it weirded me out too much to think of Beelzebub, She Who Must Not Be Named, La Pfeiff and The Bening reading or even knowing of my puny existence.

Collect Call From Ryan Gosling...

Will you accept the charges?
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Cannes Tweets/Treats: Young Hollywood Edition

With Cannes's final weekend approaching people are probably leaving town. At least that's the way it happens at other festivals. The only thing exciting left (unless there's a late breaking hit or polarizing cause) is the awards and the first ever Queer Palm which could go a few different ways. But here's a few more tweets and eye candy treats for you.

Dominic Cooper = sex? | Ryan & Michelle are now dating

The Beautiful People
@onthecroisette "Dominic Cooper is provoking pansexual heatwaves in my row."
@snooptom "Pas d'Araki pour moi, je resterai sur le Dolan, "une éphémère vacuité addictive" / 20 ans, 2 films en un an, 2 Cannes, je te hais, BRAVO!"
@AwardsDaily "Am always amazed by the perfect symetry of some actors' faces. Ryan Gosling is so blindingly good looking. Michelle Williams too."
@guylodge "EXCLUSIVE Cannes fashion report: Mike Leigh favours red-soled Campers with yellow socks. You heard it here first."

Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet (Love Songs) and Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats).
Young Hollywood if YH spoke French and made bisexual auteur flicks

Le Cinema
@cobblehillis POETRY (Lee Chang-dong): Splitting hairs to say it's no SECRET SUNSHINE because it's still terrific, devastating & (sorry for this:) poetic.
@guylodge "Anyway, a second helping of "Certified Copy" only enriched the film. People will be studying it for years. Binoche's final scene slays me.
@mattnoller "Trying to write up BLUE VALENTINE, I keep typing BLUE VELVET instead. Boy I wish."
@ZeitchikLAT "Why can't Americans make movies like CARLOS? The best we could do is Munich.."
@akstanwyck "Cannes' The Myth of the American Sleepover vs. Shit Year: One Sings, the Other Doesn't: I'm allergic to pretension..."

Every time I tire of Carey Mulligan as FASHIONISTA, she wins me back
VERY Young Hollywood: Faith Wladyka is terrific in Blue Valentine.

The Random
@MattDentler "So, the Cannes Film Festival will stream the "Lost" series finale inside the Palais this weekend, right?"
@mattnoller "Feeling a strange craving for a hot dog. Might be that I'm sitting three feet away from Jeff Wells."

if you didn't get that last joke... read the previous Cannes tweet report

Time to say au revoir but before that, let's all wish Lindsay Lohan well. She's "lost" her passport in Cannes i.e. in trouble again. Will Lost His/Her Passport become the new Hospitalized For Exhaustion? I've said it before and I'll say it again: We'll know that Lindsay has finally pulled herself together when she stops messing with her beautiful red hair.

Lindsay at a party rather than a film. Bien sur.

If her mane is blond or black or any color wheel slot save red, it's a sure sign she's trying to escape herself. So saith I, Nathaniel, unlicensed Armchair Psychologist to the Stars Actresses. Deal with your issues LiLo and get back to acting. It's something you're good at. When people have such things, they really ought to focus on them. It's a lifestyle choice that guarantees rewards. Not always sensational or exciting rewards but rewards nonetheless.

Bien à toi
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Sundance Wrap-Up: Blue Valentine and the "Best Ofs"

Three more movies... But in truth I'm not sure which day we're on. I may have scrambled up the chronology just like Blue Valentine does. I am typing this on Saturday for publication on Sunday about movies from Friday. Where am I? WHEN AM I? I spent today being sick so no more movies. The sickness is why, even though it seemed like i was seeing a bajillion movies, I really wasn't. I worry that I missed a few great pictures and that I saw too many that ended up with or already had distribution deals that I could have seen later. But it's my first Sundance trip. I was doin' it wrong. Better luck next time.

The Romantics
Old college friends gather at a seaside home to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Lila (Anna Paquin) and Tom (Josh Duhamel). Laura (Katie Holmes), their maid of honor, used to be Tom's girl and it's immediately clear that that relationship hasn't fully run its course. The other friends (Malin Akerman, Elijah Wood, Adam Brody, Rebecca Lawrence and Jeremy Strong) know this. Lila even knows it in a way. What follows is a curiously artificial dramedy, with a few diverting moments and a central question that is provocative (do you marry the person you want deeply or the person who you obviously need). I couldn't connect with this movie from the beginning and knew I was in trouble when I started enjoying Malin Akerman more than the other actors. Maybe Rachel Getting Married spoiled me forever but after that film's gloriously complicated conflicting real time wedding awkwardness everything else involving toasts, rehearsal dinners and wedding jitters, excitement just feels pedestrian and canned.

The biggest problem here might be the casting. At first it didn't bother me as these are all adequate to good actors, but I realized midway through that I didn't buy for a second that they had all known each other for years. They're all TV pretty without the movie star soulfulness required to hurtle this type of material or make it sing. When I began to write this I had completely forgotten that Adam Brody was even in the movie. The characters make reference to their past incestuous dating history -- that's where they get their name "The Romantics" -- but none of the performance outside of maybe Lila/Laura/Tom convey anything like past romantic history. The performances convey general horniness for other hotties instead. Where is the backstory textural performance stuff? Worse yet, moody evasive Laura and nearly mute Tom supposedly have a fiery deep sexual connection that we're meant to believe springs from their love of poetry, English lit and deep philosophical conversations. I don't know about you but when I think about Katie Holmes and Josh Duhamel, intellectual all-nighters and poetry recitation aren't the first or even the two-hundred and thirty-first thing that spring to mind. D+

Blue Valentine
Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) have been married for years. The marriage isn't what it used to be. This beautifully rendered film, twelve years in the making, is co-written and directed by one-to-watch Derek Cianfrance. The lived-in feeling of the acting reminded me of Mike Leigh so it didn't surprise me to hear that Williams and Gosling had both been involved with the project for years, and helped shape their characters in substantial ways. We follow Cindy and Dean through two parallel linear chronologies charting both the birth of their relationship and the death of it. In the best moments, this plays less like a conceptual gimmick and more like a revelation, allowing you to see how the past and future are always connected. This reminded me of the brilliant stage musical The Last Five Years. Since I love both Years and Mike Leigh a great deal, trust that these comparison points are enormous compliments.


Michelle Williams proves again why she's one of the best young actresses working and Ryan Gosling is straight up fantastic nailing often daringly conflicted character details: he understands Dean's confidence and inferiority complex as well as both his volatility and gentleness. He's as specific here as he was in Half Nelson but the characterizations don't feel at all alike.

<-- Gosling, Williams and their screen daughter Faith Wladyka at the premiere in Park City

Two hander dramas only sizzle if the actors are in synch and the chemistry is strong here. As an added bonus both young stars are entirely believable in parenting scenes with their screen daughter and that isn't always the case [*cough* Brothers]. Blue Valentine isn't perfect, the ending feels only halfway worked-through and I understand Katey's quibble about the confusing geography (where are we exactly in both past and present?). It's often depressing and I know the movie won't play for everyone. But though it might be a minor achievement, it's definitely an achievement. A must see for fans of either actor and of romantic dramas in general.
B+/A-

happythankyoumoreplease
This is the writing and directing debut for Josh Radnor, better known as "Ted Mosby" on How I Met Your Mother. This is a touch like watching a mumblecore film performed by the cast of Friends. I don't mean to sound mean or glib, since it's a harmless and even optimistic movie. But there's a lot about it, from Malin Akerman's alopecia -- I don't understand how Malin Akerman is an indie actress now? Help me! -- to a huge plot thread involving a little foster care black boy, that plays in an artificial overscripted way rather than lived-in and felt. In short, it's a situation dramedy, that might work better as a TV show.

Best in show: Pablo Schreiber, brother of Liev, who has done a lot of television but who I was unfamiliar with. He plays a late twentysomething man who really loves his commitment-phobe girlfriend (Zoe Kazan) but is aching to take a next step of one sort or another in his life. He provides one of the most endearing, openly emotional reactions to a pregnancy announcement, I've ever seen captured on film.

happythankyoumoreplease was the last film I saw and when it ended I knew I had had enough so perhaps I was just grumpy (no movies for a week!). But I do think it provided welcome takeaway positivity. Whenever you're feeling grateful to the universe, say "thank you" and chase it with "more please." C

If I were passing out prizes

Best Pictures: The Kids Are All Right, I Am Love, Blue Valentine and Please Give
I'm not really sure how much I loved these four movies. I like to let things settle but I'd love to see each of them again as soon as possible. The festival climate sometimes messes with your reactions to movies.
Documentary: Last Train Home (runner up: Catfish)
Screenplay: The Kids Are All Right (runner up: Cyrus or Please Give)
Art Direction: The Runaways (runner up: Nowhere Boy)
Costume Design: The Runaways (runner up: Nowhere Boy)
Best Cinematography: I Am Love (runner up: The Runaways)
Best Editing: I Am Love (runner up: Blue Valentine)
Best Use of Music/Score: Blue Valentine (runner up: I Am Love)

Actress: Annette Bening for Mother & Child and The Kids Are All Right (runner up: Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine)
Actor: Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine (runner up: James Rollston, Boy)
Supporting Actress: (tie) Kristin Scott Thomas & Anne-Marie Duff in Nowhere Boy (runner up: Rebecca Hall, Please Give)
Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right (runner up: Jonah Hill, Cyrus)
Ensemble: The Kids Are All Right (runner up: Please Give)

Some people's favorite movie moments tend to be centered around action. I am more turned on by musical numbers so I have to shout those out... along with a couple other categories.


Best One Liners: Please Give (runner up: Cyrus)
Best Sex Scene: Tilda Swinton and Edoardo Gabbriellini in I Am Love (runner up: Gosling and Williams in Blue Valentine)
Best Use of Nudity: Body art in Vegetarian
Best Gimmick: Ryan Reynolds in a coffin for the entirety of Buried
Seven Best Musical Moments: "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" (I think that's the song?) performed by Ryan Gosling (with an assist from Michelle Williams) in Blue Valentine ; "Thriller" performed by the cast of Boy; "Blue" performed by The Bening in The Kids Are All Right; "Cherry Bomb" performed by Dakota Fanning and cast in The Runaways; "Aborigine" performed by Rocky McKenzie and cast in Bran Nue Dae; "Don't You Want Me" performed by John C Reilly (with an assist from Marisa Tomei) in Cyrus. Dancing at the Late Night Lodge performed by Nathaniel and Parker Posey. Sorry, I'll shut up about that now. But can you blame me for obsessing?
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SUNDANCE IS OVER. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. i.e. Oscar nomination hoopla and this site's own Film Bitch awards.

Birthday Suits: Ryan and Anne. Get 'Em While They're Hot

Nov. 12th: Celebrating the birthdays of the filmic and famous

1840 Auguste Rodin, sculptor... still waiting on a biopic though Gerard Depardieu did play him in Camille Claudel (1988). In his honor today, get naked and strike a memorable pose.
1922 Kim Hunter, "STELLAAA!"
1929 Grace Kelly, princess
1942 Wallace Shawn, "inconceivable!"
1945 Neil Young, musician
1947 Patrice Leconte, director (Ridicule, The Widow of St. Pierre, Monsieur Hire, etcetera)
1958 Megan Mullally, Karen no more
1963 Susumu Terajima, Japanese actor
1973 Radha Mitchell, actress. Melinda²
1978 Alexandra Maria Lara, international schauspielerin

Finally, let's hear it for one-time Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling, turning 29 today, and Anne Hathaway, turning 27. Will it be tricky for them to find worthy follow ups to Half Nelson and Rachel Getting Married? Being in demand, which they both unquestionably are, is different than finding challenging three-dimensional parts. Hathaway has 10 projects somewhere on that long and volatile road to the screen the most exciting of which, from an acting standpoint, is probably Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland. But that's a long way off still and for all we know might never happen (development hell is always a danger). The next ones we actually know we'll see are the romantic comedy (Valentine's Day), the true life drama (Love And Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal) and the blockbuster fantasy (Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland). She's covering all her genre bases. Gosling plays harder to get with new projects. Two more coming soon: the unsolved murder drama All Good Things with Kirsten Dunst and yet another contemporary drama that's allergic to linear chronology, Blue Valentine (with Michelle Williams).

Both of these Young Hollywood superstars can sing but only one of them is threatening to take time off for music. Note to Gosling: Better to find a great musical than be one of those actors.
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New Releases + Hitchcock

I'm talking about Alfred Hitchcock's birthday and this week's new releases in my column at Towleroad. The obvious highlights from the newbies are Ponyo (sight unseen but it's Miyazaki so we're fine) and District 9, which I have seen. Katey and I will have a vodcast up soon to discuss the very bloody but very exciting alien action flick. But for now, the column

There's quite a variety of new product at the multiplexes. Let's start with the romantic drama, The Time Traveler's Wife in which Eric Bana keeps disappearing and reappearing in Rachel McAdams life. Wait, is he playing Ryan Gosling?!? This vanishing / reappearing act is probably a great metaphor of some sort for romance, though I haven't read the bestseller so I've no idea if the concept is executed well. The faithful are angry that they've changed it to something sunnier. Hollywood is so terrified of sad endings, even in tearjerkers which are supposed to make you cry.

read the rest at Towleroad

Link Me Like You Mean It

Pop Elegantarium a must see: Chagall About Eve
Socialite's Life My hero Brad Pitt is in Washington fighting for New Orleans.
TV Guide Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are bigger hits than their ratings imply. We are a nation of time delay viewers now
Low Resolution wonders how news of tv show Glee slipped by him. Me too, but my new excitement is totally prorated to reflect the time I didn't know about it.
Screengrab is crammed full of capsule reviews of every superhero film.
Just Jared Ryan Gosling in Flaunt.
MNPP quote of the day: Reese on Jake. Ha!


Some interesting Watchmen pieces
Vulture on the negative reviews for Dr Manhattan's wang. Those family watch groups are so unintentionally hilarious. I worked at a video store in college and we used to love reading their explicit reviews. They are so perverted with their need to explain every dirty little thing you might see.
The Guardian doesn't like the reduction of Watchmen's female characters.
Gawker compares NYC in the 80s to Watchmen's vision of the same. Time warp photos... especially if you know New York now.
Slate visualizes the superhero epic as made by auteurs not named Zach Snyder. I love the Tarantino and Almodóvar entries.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Will Ryan Throw a Gutter Ball or a Strike?

The pressure is undoubtedly on Ryan Gosling, what with needing to follow up his Oscar worthy breakthrough Half Nelson with something stronger than Fracture. Will the upcoming comedy Lars and the Real Girl be magical or just indie style quirky?


The plot screams "Quirky": Introverted man brings home a doll to meet his family and behaves as if it's real. They take him to a doctor. The cast counters with "magical": Gosling plus the superb Patricia Clarkson (Far From Heaven) and reliably fine Emily Mortimer (Match Point).

Either way wouldn't you love to go bowling with him?

Blogosphere Multiplex: Seth @ Defamer

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Song & Dance: Oscar's Men

A couple of weeks ago on Friday's song & dance, I shared the best actress nominated ladies singing their hearts out. Now it's time for the men from the Supporting and Lead Actor categories. It's a special edition of Song & Dance w/ six clips.

We begin with Ryan Gosling on the Mickey Mouse Club. He's the fourth guy to sing in this pre-N'Sync quartet (Justin Timberlake and JC Chavez warble away before him). It's Ryan freaking Gosling !!! all baby like. I just. I have no words. I can't imagine him in N'Sync. Thank god he found out he was a brilliant actor and didn't go that route. But there you go... To his right is Peter O'Toole singing the classic "Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha. Below them are Eddie Murphy doing his best Elvis & James Brown in his hit concert film Delirious. Mark Wahlberg then gets down with the Funky Bunch and shamelessly sells those pecs in MTV staple "Good Vibrations".





The last two bonus clips are kinda stretchin the point but whatevs, enjoy. First up is Djimon Hounsou doing that big smiley body waving dance he did in Janet Jackon's "Love Will Never Do Without You" (which was already featured here) only this time he's grinning wide for a Gap ad. And, finally, there's Alan Arkin playing musical chairs with the Little Miss Sunshine cast on Ellen Degeneres. Steve Carell cracks me up.

Gosling is a Baby. Murphy is a Loser?

I've updated the BEST ACTOR page with various tidbits. You know how we're always hearing that Leonardo DiCaprio is a tall actor? Well, this is a competition among giants because he's actually the shortest nominee @ 5'11" Everyone else is over six foot --Peter O'Toole is even taller than Forest Whitaker if you can imagine it. So Leo is the shortest but he's not the youngest. That honor goes to Ryan Gosling who nabs his first nomination at 26.

You may recall that Heath Ledger was a wee babe as far as Oscar statistics go when he was nominated last year, also at 26. So now Gosling joins Ledger (plus Orson Welles & Marlon Brando, esteemed company, huh?) as the collective 5th youngest Best Actor nominee. ever. Only Jackie Cooper (9), Mickey Rooney (19,23), John Travolta (23) and James Dean (24) were under the quarter-century mark when they received their leading actor nominations. Adrien Brody is the youngest actual winner. He was 29 when he won for The Pianist.

WEIRDNESS: We've also got a situation this year where 60% of our Best Actor lineup started in family television. Growing Pains, The Mickey Mouse Club, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air are all in the house.

More on the Best Actor race here. As far as the other men go, I'm beginning to doubt my feeling that Alan Arkin would pick up steam for the Supporting Oscar. Slant Magazine makes a strong case for Djimon Hounsou. People are obviously starting to feel like Eddie Murphy will lose ... but unless buzz coalesces around a single challenger, maybe he won't.

ALSO: Please vote on the Best Actor Poll @ the main site