Features







2007-08 Oscar Calendar



[Monday, December 3, 2007]

Official Screen Credits
Forms Due.


[Wednesday, December 26, 2007]

Nominations ballots mailed.


[Saturday, January 12, 2008]

Nominations polls close
5 p.m. PST.


[Tuesday, January 22, 2008]

Nominations announced
5:30 a.m. PST
Samuel Goldwyn Theater


[Wednesday, January 30, 2008]

Final ballots mailed.


[Monday, February 4, 2008]

Nominees Luncheon


[Saturday, February 9, 2008]

Scientific and Technical
Awards Dinner


[Tuesday, February 19, 2008]

Final polls close 5 p.m. PST.


[Sunday, February 24, 2008]

79th Annual
Academy Awards Presentation
Kodak Theatre

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« Lighten Up… | Main | "Notes on a Scandal" post… »

"Catch a Fire" Ignites the Campaign Trail

catchafire1.jpg


Phillip Noyce's "Catch a Fire" was received extremely well at last night's SAG/NOMCOM, et al screening. Rounds of applause speckled throughout as the film played to an enthusastic crowd, and to my shock, it played 100% better the second time around in my own opinion.


My initial review was certainly a negative one. This time, however...I don't know. It just got me. Last time I was undoubtedly looking with my critical eye in a tiny, kind of crappy screening room with maybe four or five other onlookers. But I don't think it was simply the crowd that got me further into the narrative last night. I think it has a lot to do with my view of our current political environment.


The recently passed Military Commissions Act might be the scariest hour in our nation's history. The notion that you or I can be jerked off the street and accused of being a terrorist, ripped of Habeas Corpus and deemed a public enemy by the order of one...solitary...man - it's terrifying. And that is exactly what happened to Patrick Chamusso. Insodoing, the Apartheid regime created a freedom fighter out of a good man, and the echoes - or at least the potential echoes - in the wake of George W. Bush confidently signing that piece of garbage into law last Tuesday really resonated with me at the Fine Arts Theater last night.


catchafire2.jpg


A few other things stood out as well. Like the motivations and ruthlessness of Tim Robbins' character, a character I had completely misinterpreted during the first viewing. Nic Vos's manipulations are much clearer to me now, so much so that I feel foolish for missing the beats some weeks ago.


Oh well. These things happen. I both hate it and love it when I do a 180 on a film, and this time out, I feel like "Catch a Fire" is one of the best films of the year. Go figure.


Derek Luke, Bonnie Henna and Chamusso participated in a Q&A following the screening, and the stealthy usage of Chamusso in the film's PR campaign is a stroke of brilliance. Most audiences don't expect him to be in attendance until he is announced after the credits, and it's a standing ovation each time. He's both funny and charming, has great chemistry with Luke on stage and, ultimately, adds a beautiful, human touch to the entire experience. If screenings keep going this well, Luke could slip into the Best Actor race quite easily. He's already in the thick of the hunt as it is.

Comments

Couldn't disagree more. Surely this is the exact same thing you attacked mainstream critics for doing to Flags? Ignoring glaring faults?

The film has no structure, Robbins character doesn't work and the whole thing is shoddy craftmanship (random titles are film school filming at its worst).

Once this nukes at the box office it'll be finished, and that's about all it deserves (which is unfortunate, because the story could've made a great film).

Actually I think you're wrong. The film has a rather clear structure to me. Robbins' characte works very well (I suggest a second viewing...it's about manipulation) and the tech work has always been fine in my view (since my first review).

I also think you're incredibly off base about the awards hopes. You're not seeing the same lavish of praise from the industry I and others are seeing, nor do you witness the amount of money Focus is cranking into the campaign. That's just my assumption, however, given your comments...

Valid point about the campaign. However I think you proved yourself that being in Hollywood is not necessarily any sort of advantage. This film is going to do very badly at the box office, and it can't count on much critical support either.

As for the structure, I'll have to disagree. True I've only seen it once, but I doubt my concerns would be alleviated. If anything the environment I saw it in (and Chamusso's presence) would have helped the film. Instead it's slipped totally from my mind. The final two scenes are particularly ill-conceived, and the last monologue terribly contrived and trite. If you actually need to flat-out state the moral of the story then something has gone wrong.

I shared all of your concerns after one viewing. That's all I'm saying.

How did your first and second viewing differ from each other as for location and situation?

I explained that it the piece above. Small screening room first time, big SAG screening second time. But my reaction is my own, not necessarily the result of environment.

No, not necessarily. But it does have an impact, certainly. I know having Chamusso there is a very...powerful thing. It's also different as you sound like you had a more enjoyable time there and that evening. Perhaps you were just in a more forgiving mood?

No, the environment had nothing to do with my perception of the film the second time. And I didn't know Chamusso was there until after the screening, FYI.

Is there a particular reason you can't understand that minds change and I liked the film the second time better than the first time?

Also, couldn't one just as easily say that I was in a more UNforgiving mood the first time?

Anyway, whatever you're chasing with this line of questioning, it's not there. I liked the film the second time based on its own merits and my view of things after another look. I'd wholeheartedly suggest (especially with your wrong assessment of Robbins's character...a viewpoint I once shared, mind you) that you take it in once more and see how it sits with you before assuming such a vast amount. Maybe your mind will change. Maybe it won't.

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2008 Year in Advance Predictions


UPDATED: 2/25/2008





Main Charts | Tech Charts



[Motion Picture]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Revolutionary Road”

“The Soloist”



[Directing]

David Fincher
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Ron Howard
“Frost/Nixon”

Gus Van Sant
“Milk”

Sam Mendes
“Revolutionary Road”

Joe Wright
“The Soloist”



[Actor in a Leading Role]

Benicio Del Toro
“The Argentine”

Jamie Foxx
“The Soloist”

Frank Langella
“Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn
“Milk”

Brad Pitt
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”



[Actress in a Leading Role]

Vera Farmiga
“Nothing But the Truth”

Angelina Jolie
“Changeling”

Julianne Moore
“Blindness”

Meryl Streep
“Doubt”

Kate Winslet
“Revolutionary Road”



[Actor in a Supporting Role]

Josh Brolin
“Milk”

Russell Crowe
“Body of Lies”

Robert Downey, Jr.
“The Soloist”

Heath Ledger
“The Dark Knight”

Michael Sheen
“Frost/Nixon”



[Actress in a Supporting Role]

Amy Adams
“Doubt”

Kathy Bates
“Revolutionary Road”

Cate Blanchett
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Catherine Keener
“The Soloist”

Carice van Houten
“Body of Lies”



[Writing, Adapted Screenplay]

“Body of Lies”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Writing, Original Screenplay]

“Changeling”

“Hamlet 2”

“Milk”

“The Soloist”

“WALL·E”



[Art Direction]

“Australia”

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Red Cliff”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Cinematography]

“Australia”

“The Dark Knight”

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Costume Design]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“The Other Boleyn Girl”

“Red Cliff”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Film Editing]

“Body of Lies”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Defiance”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”



[Makeup]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“The Dark Knight”

“Red Cliff”



[Music, Original Score]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“The Soloist”

“Revolutionary Road”

“WALL·E”



[Music, Original Song]

coming soon



[Sound Editing]

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Iron Man”

“Speed Racer”

“WALL·E”



[Sound Mixing]

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Cloverfield”

“The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian”

“WALL·E”



[Visual Effects]

“The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian”

“The Incredible Hulk”

“Iron Man”



[Animated Feature Film]

“9”

“Kung Fu Panda”

“WALL·E”



[Foreign Language Film]

coming soon



[Documentary, Features]

coming soon



[Documentary, Short Subjects]

coming soon



[Short Film, Animated]

coming soon



[Short Film, Live Action]

coming soon